Silver Mercury
by Emeraldjewel
Summary: Star Wars and Final Fantasy VII. Witness the union of the greatest game ever created with the cherished saga of a galaxy far, far away... COMPLETED.
1. Prologue, The Dancing Flames

**Disclaimer: **This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover. I do not own in any way any of the characters associated with Lucas Films or Square-Enix. The only characters that belong to me are any original ones that may appear through out the course of the story.

This story takes place just two or three years before Star Wars: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Prologue – The Dancing Flames**

_It was the essence of true malice. An entire village up in flames, complete with the screams of terrified villagers and the scent of charred bodies. Alone he stood in the flames, amidst the destruction and chaos that he had caused. Impervious to the flames that surrounded him, he glared with glowing green eyes at those who he made to suffer. Watching them, a spiteful smirk appeared on his face, reflecting the evil that he was. Then he turned away and walked slowly into the flames, his long silver hair flowing behind him, and his trusted blade at his side…_

When Palpatine opened his eyes the flames were gone, as was the silver-haired man who had caused them. With a content smile on his face he gazed out of the window and down at the magnificent city that was his. He was not exactly sure whether what he had witnessed was part of the past, present, or future, but it mattered not; it was glorious nonetheless. He could sense the hatred from the silver-haired man, and the sheer amount of it made Palpatine grin at the thought of just how much that man could possibly achieve. The man was force sensitive; that much was clear, for it was not uncommon for Palpatine to detect a force-sensitive's presence from long distances. The only problem was finding it.

Soon enough, Palpatine realized that he had nothing to go on, and that finding the silver force-sensitive would be close to impossible. Palpatine seethed in anger, his horrible red-yellow eyes reflecting the rage he felt. He would have to wait for more signs put out by the silver-haired one before he could take any action. What a shame, he thought to himself. The silver-haired one had so much potential; potential that Palpatine was more than willing to use to his own advantage. Knowing that there was not anymore he could do, Palpatine turned his attention back to the city – his city – and watched over his great Galactic Empire once more.


	2. Another World

**Disclaimer: **This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover. I do not own in any way any of the characters associated with Lucas Films or Square-Enix. The only characters that belong to me are any original ones that may appear through out the course of the story.

This story takes place just two before Star Wars: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter One: Another World**

"_So cold…I am always by your side…"_

Laughter as chilling as ice and as menacing as a demon's cackle woke Cloud Strife just before the sunrise. A vision of piercing green eyes was soon replaced by the rays of the sun shining down upon his face, immediately giving him comfort from his waking nightmare. After sitting up and rubbing his deep blue eyes, Cloud stared down at the flowerbed just below him. The sunlight poured down upon the vegetation, making the flowers seem livelier than he had ever seen them before. Cloud gave the flowerbed a sad smile, suddenly reminded of the chestnut-haired girl who used to tend to the flowers daily.

Cloud stood up from the oak bench he had been sleeping on and stretched, momentarily looking around the empty old church in which he resided in. The church in Sector 5 was the only place in the dark and ruined city of Midgar which ever received any sunlight. The rest of the city was shrouded with ominous gray clouds, which had developed from the years of pollution the city used to give out. Just two years before, the people of Midgar decided to change their ways by shutting off the energy-sucking smog creating reactors, feeling that it was necessary in order to survive, and to keep the planet as well.

Cloud pulled a black, sleeveless top over himself and zipped it up, just before sitting down and strapping on his boots. The last thing he did before heading out of the church was strap on a long black sleeve over his whole left arm, concealing every bit of skin on it from the world. Once he was outside he approached a sleek black motorcycle, which was chained securely onto a pole.

"Don't think we'll be going far today, _Fenrir_," Cloud said quietly to himself, although it sounded as though he were talking to the motorbike itself. Unlocking the chain, he mounted the motorcycle and sped off down the debris-cluttered street.

Much of Midgar was the same as it always was; a dull cloudy sky, with trash and debris covering roads that were in great need of repair. Instead of repairing them however, the Midgarians had merely decided leave the city and settle just outside of the ruins, to build anew in a place they called the Edge Sector. Cloud passed many people who walked down the Edge Sector's street, their heads bowed and their hands in their pockets. They wore tattered and dirty clothes, and walked along with nowhere to go except for the nearest shelter incase acid rain were to fall down from the gray sky. This was the way it always was, for Midgar and the Edge Sector were essentially slums, with really no hope of ever restoring themselves to healthy civilizations.

It did not take Cloud long at all to reach his destination. The environment just as depressing as Midgar's Sector 5, the Edge Sector held many people who were homeless and scouring for food. Cloud eventually made it to a brightly lit two-story building which held a bright sign that read, 'Tifa's Seventh Heaven – Revamped.' Cloud made sure to chain up the motorbike before entering the building's doors.

Tifa's Seventh Heaven was a pub, and apparently it was slow that day. Empty tables and chairs took up the whole room while soft rock music played from the jukebox in the far corner. An old pinball machine to the side reminded him of worse days. Cloud looked over to the bar, where a slim dark-haired woman was wiping down a glass, her back facing him.

"Sit anywhere you like," she said in a pleasantly comforting voice, her back still towards him. She opened her mouth to say something more, but when she finally turned around to look at him, she only stood there, looking astonished. "Cloud?"

"Tifa," he replied without emotion.

She flashed him an empty smile, but the worry in her deep brown eyes was apparent. "You've been gone for weeks. I was starting to think something had happened to you."

Cloud approached the bar and took a seat. Running a gloved hand though his spiky blond hair he said, "No, I'm fine." Tifa stared at him, wanting to inquire if he was sure about that, for he looked pale to her eyes, but knowing that it would annoy him she decided not to.

"Want anything to drink?" Tifa asked, placing the glass she was cleaning on the counter top. "The usual?

"Sure," said Cloud as she turned away from him to prepare it. He was staring at the thin pink ribbon tied around her bare arm. He knew why she wore it, and the reason she did made Cloud stare down at the bar's hardwood surface.

"Here you go," Tifa announced as she set a small shot glass down in front of him. Cloud gulped down the entirety of his drink without so much as a grimace from its agreeably strong taste. He was about to get up and leave when Tifa informed him, "Reno dropped by earlier you know."

"Oh yeah?" Cloud responded, looking up at her.

"Yeah, he wanted you to deliver something for him to a guy in Junon," she answered, taking hold of another glass to clean it with a small white towel, "and I told him you hadn't been around for two and half weeks, but he decided to leave it anyway, saying that it wasn't that urgent. I told him I had no idea when you were coming back, but he wouldn't hear it."

"Oh." Cloud then quickly turned away from her, hearing fast footsteps coming from upstairs. A little girl with light brown hair tied up into a ponytail suddenly appeared through a doorway with a hopeful smile on her face. "Cloud?" Cloud nodded and she ran towards him with an excited grin on her face. "Cloud!" Once she was about a foot away from him, the little girl jumped and he caught her in his arms.

"Marlene," he said, surprised. "Have you gotten bigger or have I been shrinking?"

With an angry face she pulled on one of his blond spiky locks, which caused him to wince. "You missed my birthday!"

"I did?" he asked with a teasing tone in his voice. He could see Tifa smiling at them through the corner of his eye. "But didn't you just turn five?"

"No dummy!" Marlene scolded, slapping him hard on his shoulder. "I just turned six last week and you missed it! We had a big party and Daddy was here and everything!"

Feeling a pang of guilt, Cloud set her down and knelt in front of her. "Listen, I'll make it up to you Marlene. How about you go with Tifa down to the market and pick out a toy you like. I'll buy it for you as a late birthday present when I come back."

"You're leaving again!" the little girl exclaimed, upset.

"I have to deliver something for Reno, then I'll be back very soon. Okay?"

Marlene grinned. "Okay Cloud!" With that she ran up the stairs and back to her room. He could hear her excitedly tell someone else what he had promised her.

Cloud stood up and immediately took hold of his left arm, which was covered by the long black sleeve. It had started to painfully ache and he clenched both his fists and his teeth, making sure to keep silent about it so that Tifa wouldn't notice. "How's Denzel?" he said finally with a strained exhale.

Tifa had noticed however, but refused to inquire once again. With a deep sigh she shook her head. "Not so good. He passed out three days ago during Marlene's birthday party and did not wake up until today. I've heard Marlene praying at night for Shin-Ra not take him away, but he hasn't gotten any better. It won't be long until they take him to the sanatorium."

Cloud sighed deeply and looked at Tifa. She was staring at the ground, looking misty-eyed and worried. He stepped close to her and lifted up her chin so that her brown eyes were looking into his glowing blue ones.

"It'll get better," Cloud reassured. "I promise."

Tifa shook her head. "Even you don't know that. This Geostigma disease is getting worse, and it affects the kids the most. What if Marlene catches it?"

"She won't," he answered defiantly, his eyes gazing at hers stubbornly, but he truly did not feel the same way as he was speaking. He just hated to see his childhood friend in this state. Years ago, she was the optimistic one, and he was the one who was down. It was always her to bring him out of the darkness and into the light, not the other way around.

"'Be strong,' Tifa," he said, quoting her own catch phrase of sorts. She used to repeat it often on the journey they had embarked on two years ago. He let go of her chin and added, "For _her_." Tifa understood exactly whom he was talking about and straightened up, her eyes becoming focused and determined.

Turning away from her to pick up the small box Reno left for him on the shelf, Cloud thought, _At least she can still be strong. I know I no longer can._ "See you later Tifa," he called out as he left through the front door.

"You be strong Cloud," Tifa whispered to the empty room.

Several hours passed, and business for Tifa's bar and restaurant was still slow. She used the time she had to wash the rest of the dishes, tidy up the rest of the bar, and occasionally tend to Denzel, the orphan boy upstairs who suffered from the newly wide spread disease known as Geostigma.

"Tifa! Tifa!" she heard Marlene call from downstairs as she was tending to Denzel, who was lying in bed with a high fever.

"What is it Marlene?" Tifa called back as she squeeze-dried a wet towel over a bowel and placed it on Denzel's forehead.

"Meteor's back!" Marlene answered with a panic-stricken tone. Tifa turned around to see Marlene standing by the door with tears in her eyes as well as the unmistakable emotion of fear.

Tifa's eyebrows furrowed. "Marlene…Have the orphanage kids been telling you scary stories again?"

"No!" Marlene shouted, tugging on Tifa's arm. "It's true! Meteor's back and it's going to kill us!"

That was when Tifa heard the screams outside. Quickly she made her way towards the window, only to find a crowd of people gathered, looking up at the sky. Tifa immediately made her way to the roof of the building to look up at the sky as well. Once she was outside on the roof, a gasp was caught in her throat.

Tifa's hands covered her mouth in shock as she whispered to no one, "Sephiroth…"

Protruding through the thick gray clouds was a massive steel-gray object about the size of a meteor yet considerably smaller than the original Meteor that had threatened to kill them two years before. There were bright blue spots on it, and after examining them for a little while longer, Tifa decided they resembled little electric lights more than anything else..

"It's another Meteor!" someone shouted from below amongst the screams.

"No it ain't! It's not round!" another shouted back.

"He's right…" Tifa said aloud as she stared up at it. As the object came closer through the clouds, Tifa could see that it was actually polygonal in shape, mostly resembling an arrowhead or dagger.

The wind blew through her long dark hair, and then quite suddenly she felt something clutch her leg. Tifa looked down to see Marlene who was tugging on the tail end of her long black apron. "What is it Tifa?" Marlene asked, obviously realizing that the object was not Meteor.

Tifa looked up at the sky and gazed long and hard at the object. "I think it's a spaceship."

* * *

He stood alone at the window, gazing down at the city below him, which had appeared dilapidated and destroyed. From this altitude, barely into the planet's atmosphere, the city that was described to him was nothing more than a dark gray splotch of metal and ruin, surrounded by even more darkness, a wasteland as the topography report earlier had explained.

"Lord Vader," said a voice behind him, "the landing crafts are ready to be deployed. Would you like to prepare the troops, sir?"

The man at the window who was addressed as 'Lord Vader' turned to face the man questioning him. Dressed all in black and breathing slowly through a dark mask, he loomed over the man questioning him like a great shadow. In a deep voice he replied, "You may proceed with the troops Captain Piett."

Captain Piett, a middle-aged man in a gray uniform with several blue and red badges on his chest nervously nodded, bowed, and went off, exiting through a steel door which slid open the moment he approached it. The one called Lord Vader was about to turn back to the window once again when another voice called out from just below him. Vader was in fact standing on a narrow path that allowed him to overlook an array of workers on either side of him. Each working officer was furiously working at their own stations, wearing uniforms similar to Captain Piett's though black in color. The officer who had addressed Vader was standing just to the right of him, looking up with anxious eyes.

"Lord Vader," he said, "the Emperor wishes to speak with you."

Vader turned away from him and began to stride down the path with his hands behind his back and his long black cape flowing behind him. He walked through the automatic sliding door, and within moments of walking through clean white hallways, he had arrived at a room, which was almost completely dark inside when he entered. Making sure it was empty, Vader approached the very center of the room and knelt down on one knee, bowing his head. Just then, a hologram appeared in the air above him, depicting the shape of a man's face, concealed by a dark hooded cloak.

"Master…" said Vader, keeping his head bowed before the hooded figure.

"Darth Vader," replied the hologram with a raspy and somewhat strained voice. "I have been informed that you have reached the planet and the preparations are being made."

"Yes, Master," answered Vader, looking up at the hologram. "Squadrons are being prepared incase of retaliation from the natives."

"Remember Lord Vader," said the hologram, "this planet is on the brink of it's own destruction. The people of this world have caused their own demise and they are of no importance to us. Our only objective is the silver-haired one and nothing else. If they get in your way, destroy them and show no mercy."

"Yes, Master," Vader repeated. "Yet, how will we know if the silver one is even still alive?"

The face of the hologram grinned, revealing a ghastly image of yellowed, decayed teeth. "I have foreseen a great many things about him. He is lost right now in the depths of the Force, but he will return in a few days time."

Vader did not understand, but contemplated silently to himself. How could someone be lost in the Force? And if one were actually lost within it, how could one return from it? As if able to see the emotion behind Vader's mask, the hologram grinned again.

"I can sense your confusion," pronounced the hologram, "but be patient my friend. Search the planet, and find the place where all the energies of the Force gather, and there you will find the answers we are searching for."

"I will let no one interfere, Master," Vader reassured.

"Good," and with that the hologram wavered and vanished, leaving the room in complete darkness once again.


	3. Attack of the Shadow Creepers

**Disclaimer: **This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover. I do not own in any way any of the characters associated with Lucas Films or Square-Enix. The only characters that belong to me are any original ones that may appear through out the course of the story.

This story takes place just two before Star Wars: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Two: Attack of the Shadow Creepers**

Cloud sped fast down a dirt road, already far in the outskirts of Midgar, in it's surrounding wastelands. He sat hunched forward on his motorbike with dark sunglasses on his face to protect him from the wind and dirt that was in abundance on the road. He eventually made it to a large cliff that overlooked Midgar's ruins as well as the small portion that was the Edge Sector, and he stopped there, looking up at the strange giant object that loomed above it. Many ideas and memories ran through his mind at that moment, but one that seemed to stand out above the rest was the memory of a fiery red Meteor about to destroy Midgar and the world.

"Tifa!" he gasped through clenched teeth. He gripped the handlebars of his motorcycle and sped off again towards the city.

_This is impossible,_ he thought over and over again. _Impossible. Sephiroth is dead._

Cloud kept an eye on the object as he came closer to it and soon depicted that it was not a Meteor but rather a spacecraft of some kind. The spacecraft didn't descend any further, but other smaller crafts did, as if released by the larger one. This only bewildered him, for he was suddenly reminded of a ridiculous science-fiction movie he saw when he was a child. The situation only confusing him more, Cloud gunned the motorcycle's engine faster towards the closest descending ship, a smaller frigate of some kind, probably designed just to land quickly without delay.

Cloud's blond eyebrows rose at the sound of approaching engines from behind him. Just as he glanced into one of his side-view mirrors, another motorcycle zoomed right up beside him, and before he knew it, Cloud was dodging bullets.

"Where's Mother?" a deep voice demanded coming from Cloud's right. He looked, only to see a young man about Cloud's age on a motorcycle, wearing all black leather and sporting spiked silver hair. Cloud's eyes widened behind his sunglasses, but that was only before the man swerved his motorcycle towards Cloud's, swinging a fist that was armored with some kind of weapon. Cloud only had milliseconds to swerve out of the way. When he looked again, the man was nowhere to be found.

_What the hell is going on? _Cloud asked himself, frustrated. Cloud heard gunshots again and found another motorcycle to his left, this time ridden by a man with long silver hair.

"You're hiding her, aren't you, Brother?" asked the man, holding a large gun in his hand.

Cloud could not believe his own eyes as he thought: _it can't be…Sephiroth?_ While speeding up to escape the two silver-haired men (the first had just appeared behind him, shooting a gun), Cloud convinced himself that neither of them could be Sephiroth, for never in his life had Sephiroth used a gun of any kind.

He rode on as fast as he could for several moments, and soon Cloud was sure that the two had stopped following him. _They must be his clones,_ he theorized, _left over from the Jenova Project…_ He was now even more confused than before; first the space ships, and then the clones of his deceased enemy. He knew not whether the two occurrences could be related, but he _did_ know that he had to reach Edge as soon as possible, before Tifa, Marlene or Denzel could be harmed.

A fast-paced trotting filled his ears. Cloud was surprised to be greeted by a vast amount of dark, four-legged creatures that were running after him, all of them able to catch up with his speeding motorcycle. They came in from all directions, snapping their jaws at him as they came close and pouncing towards him whenever they were given the chance. Cloud had his sword strapped to the back of his motorcycle and within seconds he was swinging it's massive blade wildly with one hand, aiming at whatever dark creature crossed his path. Each one that was struck burst into a large cloud of smoke and shadow and dissipated into the air, though more of the creatures seemed to appear, as if out of the shadows themselves.

Cloud looked on ahead and saw that the frigate had landed on a clearing in the middle of the Midgar wastelands, just a mile or so from the visible ruins. A giant ramp opened up and set down on the ground before anything or anyone exited the ship. Cloud slashed through yet another one of the creatures, as he was just several hundred yards away from the frigate.

* * *

Darth Vader strode down the large ramp of the Imperial frigate, thinking over the commands that the Emperor had given him. It was not but several months ago that the Emperor, his master, was seeing visions of a silver-haired force-sensitive being. He had ordered Vader to search, and the search led him to a deep corner of the Unknown Regions. Vader followed his master's wishes, though it was very apparent to him that the Emperor was in search of a new apprentice.

Vader remembered the rule of two in the Order of the Sith which he belonged to. There must be only a master and an apprentice. No more, no less. Vader knew that once he found the silver-haired one he would more than likely have to battle him, and the living victor would be the new apprentice of his master, Darth Sidious. Of course, Vader was not willing to just lose, though he did sense that there was more to the situation than his master might have been hoping for.

Marching in perfect precision down the ramp in rows was a large army of white-armored masked soldiers. They were known to all except the citizens of the planet they were invading as stormtroopers, loyal and totally obedient troops of the Galactic Empire. Vader had brought with him one legion, which he thought was more than enough, for he could already tell that the people of the newly discovered planet did not have nearly as many military resources as the Empire had. In fact, their technology was just short of being pronounced as primitive.

He watched from the side as his army marched down from the ramp, each of the soldiers holding one blaster rifle on his shoulder. By the time they had all finished and the ramp to the ship closed, Vader heard in the distance what sounded like an engine of some sort. He turned in the direction of it, and not but some meters away he spotted a young man speeding down on a vehicle with several dozen creatures on his tail. Upon seeing the creatures, the stormtroopers immediately drew their blasters and took aim, obviously noticing that the creatures intended to attack the one riding the vehicle.

Vader held out a black-gloved hand. "Hold your fire," he commanded, waiting for the blond young man and the creatures to come closer. A scream from behind the Dark Lord interrupted his plans, and soon enough he was forced to look upon his squad of stormtroopers firing at another hoard of the same creatures that had suddenly ambushed them from behind. Almost immediately, a glowing red blade appeared in Vader's hand, and as soon as one of the creatures was close enough, he struck it down with his blade, cutting the creature neatly in half, just before it exploded in a puff of black smoke.

The troops faired nicely against the attacking creatures. Although some of the creatures brought a few of them down, their advanced weaponry was more than enough to handle the agile monsters. Vader destroyed the most, his glowing crimson blade striking clean through each of the creature's bodies. As he fought, he briefly wondered where the creatures could have come from, for he was not able to sense any danger before their arrival. Sooner than he had expected however, the roar from the vehicle the young man was riding was closer and Vader faced the man's direction just as the young blond forced his two-wheeled vehicle to leap over Vader and a number of his men, bringing down two creatures that had jumped after him with a gigantic steel sword. The young man brought down his vehicle, which was now reminding Vader of a speeder bike, perfectly onto the ground, which he then turned in the opposite direction and stopped, still holding his giant sword in hand and staring down at Vader, who was staring at him in return.

Vader did not have time to ponder where this man came from, for the sound of ear-piercing shriek caused him to turn around and effortlessly strike down three more creatures. Through the corner of his eye he saw the young blond man somersault high from off the two-wheeled vehicle and join in the fray against the vicious creatures. Standing in front of them, Vader deduced them to be at least two to three meters tall in height as well as length. Four-legged with their skin black, rough, and waxy, they resembled reptiles the most; especially in the way they attacked their prey with their inhuman speed and agility.

The creatures went down one by one by Vader, the young man, and at the stormtrooper's hands, until at last, there were none left. Vader spotted the young man far to the right of him knelt down on one knee and panting hard for breath. His giant sword was still in his hand, though the ebony colored blood of the creatures they had fought had tainted the blade. The moment the young man looked up was the moment that the remaining stormtroopers trained their weapons on him, each of them directly pointing at his head.

The young man looked up at them in confusion, his yellow eyebrows knitting together. Vader approached the man, his red glowing blade still lit. The young man used his other hand to remove his sunglasses, revealing intense glowing blue eyes, the likes of which Vader had never seen before.

Vader listened to the sound of his own breathing apparatus for a moment before he demanded, "Who are you?"

His expression looking defiant, the young man replied unflinchingly, "I should be asking the same of you. After all, you're the ones who are strangers here."

Vader clenched his fists tightly, already growing impatient. "You are in no position to make demands, boy. Who are you and what were those creatures?"

"I don't know what those creatures were," answered the man. "They attacked me while I was on the road, but that was before you guys came here to this planet. Though you say I can't make any demands, I still want to know what you're doing here and where you came from."

"That is none of your concern," Vader replied sternly. "Until I say so you are in our custody, so if you wish to live, I suggest you comply with our demands. Now answer the question."

The man looked down at the ground for a moment, and Vader could sense the humiliation of defeat from him, as well as the feeling of sorrow, which he guessed originated from something else in the man's life. Sorrow, as well as fear, and sensing this fear, Vader knew that he could use this to his own advantage.

"My name is Cloud Strife," said the man with a defeated sigh.

"And you said that you did not know where those creatures came from?" Vader asked. Cloud nodded. "And what is the name of that city?" Vader questioned, pointing to the settlement as well as it's nearby ruins.

"Midgar and Edge," answered Cloud.

Vader pressed a button on the metal cylinder of his glowing blade and it disappeared, leaving only the cylinder to be seen. "You will accompany these men back to the transport for interrogation. Cooperate, and you might just be awarded your freedom."

Cloud did not resist as an armed stormtrooper seized his sword and carried it off with much difficulty towards the ship. The ramp came down once again and Cloud soon found himself with a pair of metal cuffs binding his hands. The group of stormtroopers that surrounded him promptly escorted him up the ramp and into the ship. Darth Vader watched, his hands on his hips, thinking silently to himself before entering the ship on his own.

* * *

Cloud Strife sat looking down at the ground for what seemed like eternity. This was not the first time that Cloud found himself captured and thrown into a prison cell, and it would probably not be his last. They had taken the cuffs off of him now, and for a long while he was alone in the clean white cell with nothing to do but wonder when they were going to interrogate him and what they were going to do next. He gathered from the one dark tall man with the helmet that their intentions were not peaceful, especially after the way they treated him, even after Cloud helped them defeat the creatures.

So many questions burdened his mind but no answers came to relieve them. He thought about the silver-haired men, the creatures, and the extra-terrestrials. He couldn't call them aliens, for on his way to the prison cell he had seen many humans in uniform walking about on their own business. He supposed that the masked soldiers along with their black-clad leader were human as well, but he could never be sure. Cloud knew from experience that appearances could be deceiving, and he did not doubt that this could be one of those cases.

Cloud rested his head against the wall of his cell and sighed, muttering, "What were those things…?" He noted how they seemed to burst into a cloud of shadow whenever he killed one, and he also recalled their movements; how they seemed to move swiftly like shadows in the middle of the night. This inspired a name for Cloud to describe them as, at least, until he figured out what they really were.

"Shadowcreepers…." Cloud said into the nothingness of air. "Though there's no way the Shin-Ra could've created them, the reactors are shut down…"

_Or are they…?_ Cloud could not help but ask himself. He wondered if the possibility that perhaps at least one of the reactors could have been turned on or kept on since the destruction of Midgar…and one particular reactor from memory was still fresh in his mind…

Just then, the cell door hissed open, allowing the masked man in black from before to enter, with two stormtroopers waiting behind him. Cloud had heard the uniformed men on the ship calling him 'Lord Vader' or just 'Vader,' so once again Cloud decided that he would answer whatever questions the man had, that way, perhaps he could get questions of his own answered as well.

Vader stood, breathing loudly and slowly through his mask, staring down at Cloud who had sat up and stared back with a stoic expression and unhesitant blue eyes. Vader could sense the power that the young man showed in battle slowly diminishing, along with his strength, as if something slowly draining him of all his energy. Though it did seem like it, Vader could tell that Cloud was fatigued, perhaps not from battle, but from something else entirely.

"As I have stated before, cooperate, and there is a good chance that you may live," Vader reminded him. Of course, he had other methods of getting answers from Cloud if he chose not to comply with his demands, but Vader thought it best not to inform the blond warrior of those methods.

Cloud nodded. "Knock yourself out."

"In the ruins there is a giant abandoned weapon sitting in the middle of it. What was its purpose?"

Cloud took a deep breath before beginning his explanation. "That was the Mako cannon _Sister Ray_. It was created as a last defense in war fare, but was moved from its original location to Midgar to fight the WEAPON's." Before Vader could inquire, he continued. "The WEAPON's were monsters, each with the capability to destroy entire cities if it wanted to. _Sister Ray _was able to destroy two of them, but the others disappeared after Meteor was destroyed."

Vader folded his arms over his chest, his loud breathing being the only sound in the room slightly unnerving Cloud. "Where did those creatures come from and where did the others go?"

Cloud blinked. "They came from the planet. The planet created them to destroy anything that was harmful to it in any way. They almost succeeded. From what I've seen, there were at least five of them. Sapphire, Diamond and Ultima WEAPON we were able to destroy, but I don't know what happened to the other two, Emerald and Ruby."

Vader was about to say that the origin of the WEAPON's was absurd, but then he remembered what his master said. _"Go to the place where all the energies of the Force are gathered."_ Perhaps it was the Force itself that created the WEAPON's, though he was not exactly sure that was what happened.

"You say a meteor was going to collide with this planet. How did you survive?"

"Meteor was destroyed," was all Cloud said.

"I see," Vader responded. "There are other populated cities on this world. What are their names?"

"The city on west coast of this continent is Junon. It was the prime location for the government's military, but not so much anymore. There aren't many major cities other than that except for Wutai. The other most populated areas in the world are Cosmo Canyon and Corel."

"What is this planet's government?" Vader asked, unmoving as he spoke.

"The Shinra's have ruled most of the world for as long as I can remember. They came into power when they introduced a new form of energy to burn and use for electric power. It was called Mako, and it came from inside the planet itself. They created Mako reactors to drain the energy from the planet so that they could use it, but what they didn't realize was that draining the energy from the planet actually caused the planet to start dying. After Meteor, they shut all the reactors down. Shinra Inc. doesn't have much power now, but they still have control of what's left of the military and the law."

Vader absorbed the information with newfound interest as he thought about what Cloud had said about the Mako in the earth. He knew that the Force bound all living things together, including the planets and all life on them, but he had no idea that the energy they contained could be harnessed in a physical form. How is it that no other civilizations in the Galaxy possessed the knowledge yet this primitive world did? If Vader's assumptions were correct, the Shin-Ra had found a way to turn the Force into a real physical form, something that no Jedi or Sith was ever able to do in thousands of years.

Yet, Cloud had presented the consequences of harnessing such energy. Draining the life from the planet would be the same as stealing every trace of the Force from the planet itself. Without the Force, all life on the planet would diminish. As far as Vader could tell, the Mako reactors had already taken a toll on the planet. He had wondered why he had found it strange to sense more death than life when he had first arrived. The fact that he was not able to sense the approaching danger of the creatures that attacked them could also add to the diminishing signature of the Force from the world.

_My master was right…_ Vader realized, remembering that the Emperor had said that the people of this planet had caused their own demise and that the world was on its way to destruction. That statement made perfect sense now, for Vader realized now more than ever before that the planet he had found was so weak and so close to death, it was easy to tell why no others had ever been able to discover the planet before.

"Does this planet have a name?" Vader asked, already irritated with calling the newfound world "the planet."

Cloud's eyes narrowed, as if trying to remember. "No, I don't think it does."

Irritation was only one way to describe how Vader felt. How could a planet with intelligent life forms that were able to harvest the Force into physical energy not be able to name their own world! Vader was about ready to put the planet out of its misery by bombarding it with the _Devastator _from outer space.

"Now, I know _I'm _not the one who's supposed to be asking questions," Cloud said in a mock tone of respect, "but just who the hell are you people?"

Vader's patience had already run thin, and this boy's smart-aleck attitude had only provoked him further. He held out one arm towards Cloud and shaped his hand as if he were closing it around something. Cloud's eyebrows furrowed as reached for his throat, which suddenly felt constricted. He stood up, gasping for air and just as he began to reach out for Vader so that he could fight back in any way possible, he began to feel lightheaded, and his vision became hazy.

"W-why…you…" Cloud managed to choke out before he collapsed to the ground, unmoving.

Vader put his arm down and walked out of the cell. "That'll conclude this interrogation, Cloud Strife."


	4. Invasion of the Mako City

**Disclaimer: **This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover. I do not own in any way any of the characters associated with Lucas Films or Square-Enix. The only characters that belong to me are any original ones that may appear through out the course of the story.

This story takes place just two years before Star Wars: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Three: Invasion of the Mako City**

"Look, I don't know what's going on anymore than you do. The best thing to do right now is not to panic and-,"

"But you were in AVALANCHE! You _should_ know something!"

A chorus of people shouted in agreement, and the only thing Tifa could do was sigh in vexation. As of now she was standing on the front porch of her restaurant, trying to ward off the mass of people in the Edge sector who demanded answers. Their questions confused her, and the only thing she could do was try to reassure them that everything was going to be fine.

"That spaceship is not in the sky anymore!" a frightened voice from the crowd cried. "What if the aliens have landed somewhere and are trying to invade?"

"Listen," Tifa replied, putting up one hand to try and quiet the crowd's oncoming shouts. "I'm sure Shin-Ra is already on it. I don't know what's going on, but maybe you should call the President or-,"

"Shin-Ra's not taking any calls!" a man in the front informed them, "and earlier I saw Shin-Ra soldiers coming out of Edge Square, but there weren't very many of them."

_Of course,_ Tifa thought. _SOLDIER isn't what it used to be. They'd have no chance holding off an army from another region, much less one from outer space!_ She knew that their limited numbers could not defend the settlement of Edge in any type of invasion.

"All of the working highways are jammed with traffic," the same man said. "Everyone in the city is trying to evacuate, and at this rate there'll be nothing we can do to escape!"

Cries of panic filled the air, and once again, Tifa was forced to shout over them. "_ALRIGHT LISTEN_!" Within moments, the screams were softened to mumbles, and Tifa continued. "Whether we like it or not, we're trapped. Right now, we should all gather our families and seek shelter inside our homes. I know that we've all never really had many shelters to begin with, but we should all be courteous and help one another, no matter what. I'll take any of the orphans who are ill and can't make it back to the orphanage for whatever reason. If we work together, we can prevent another catastrophe like Meteor. And whatever you do," she said in a grave warning voice, "don't provoke them to attack unless they attack first!"

She could feel some of the panic and fear come off of the people as they all went their own ways to prepare. Almost immediately, six children, all clothed in dirt-covered rags, most of them with bandages over different parts of their bodies, immediately came running to Tifa. She smiled sadly at them, staring at each of their pale faces as they looked to her pleadingly.

"We can't get back to the orphanage Miss Tifa," said a little boy about the age of seven with dark hair and bright green eyes. "There are bad men on the road."

Tifa sighed. It was not uncommon to find criminals on the roads between sectors during times of chaos and disruption. Smiling, she said to the boy, "Well it's a good thing you came here. Don't any of you worry. Come on inside and I'll prepare you all some snacks to eat."

The six children followed Tifa inside the building, and all sat down at either different tables or at the bar, as Tifa began to prepare food for the orphans. Marlene soon made an appearance from upstairs and began to converse with the other children. If there was one thing Tifa was relieved to see, was that none of the children were in the same condition as Denzel. All of the orphans she currently harbored in her bar all suffered from Geostigma as well, though none of them were currently ill enough to cause Tifa any worry.

A high-pitched ringing caught Tifa's attention as she preparing sandwiches for the orphans. Quickly, she ran upstairs and answered a phone that was mounted on the wall, hoping dearly that it was Cloud. She didn't even want to begin to imagine the possible dangers Cloud may have faced when the spaceship landed outside of Midgar.

"Strife's Delivery Service," Tifa greeted into the phone. "You name it, we deliver." The phone line she was speaking on was Cloud's separate phone line for his small delivery business. The line she used for the bar was downstairs.

"Babe?" answered a male voice on the other side.

"Reno!" Tifa exclaimed, half annoyed with the way he addressed her and half relieved she was speaking with someone who could inform her of what the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company. was doing about the current situation.

"Yeah, it's me, babe," answered Reno. "Hey, are you all right?"

"For the moment," Tifa replied as she placed her free hand on her hip.

"Good," Reno answered. "Listen, is Cloud there?"

"No," Tifa said, shifting her weight onto one leg. "Why?"

"'Cause the boss needs to see him. It's urgent."

"Wait a minute," Tifa interrupted before he could say anymore. "What's going on Reno? What's Shin-Ra going to do about that spaceship?"

"Babe, don't worry about it. We're already working on it. For now, babe, you need to-,"

"My name isn't Babe!" Tifa snapped at him. "It's Tifa! Now I wanna know what's going to happen and I wanna know now, Reno!"

"Woah, woah! Calm down doll face," answered Reno's voice. "The boss is going to send some forces to protect the city, but he needs to see Cloud, says it's important."

"Important enough to kill him?" Tifa accused darkly.

"No! Nothing like that! You know the Prez is in no condition to be running around, shooting at AVALANCHE members like he used to. Ah…those were the good 'ole days." Before Tifa could snap at him again, Reno said, "Look, get a hold of Cloud and tell him to meet me at Healin Lodge and tell him it's urgent. Rufus needs his help."

Tifa didn't have a chance to respond. Reno had already hung up. Tifa put the phone back on the receiver, picked it up again, and began to dial the number to Cloud's mobile phone.

"_WE'RE SORRY, YOUR CALL CANNOT BE COMPLETED AS DIALED. PLEASE HANG UP AND TRY YOUR CALL AGAIN._"

Aggravated, Tifa slammed the phone on the receiver. She tried calling again a few more times, but to no avail. She then sat against the wall and held her now aching head in her hands. A feeling of dread began to form in the pit of her stomach.

"Oh Cloud…" she muttered, her head hanging low. "Where are you?"

* * *

There were times when being an orphan born as a Midgarian slum rat had it's distinct advantages. This was one of those times. As a seventeen-year-old slum rat she knew every nook and cranny in all of Midgar and Edge combined. It was difficult to get from place to place in Edge, for criminals and thieves, slum rats in their own right, guarded each road with unofficial tolls to rob the people. However, she had ways of dealing with them and reaching her desired destination.

She approached the open Southern Edge gate, a long curtain of silver hair swinging behind her. In front of the open gate stood four men, each with switchblades in their hands and red bandannas around their heads. The four had stopped conversing loudly amongst themselves to look at her as she approached.

"Well, well," one said, the tallest of the four. He had dark hair and stubble on his face. He clicked his tongue as he approached and stopped in front of her. "Lookie what we have here, gents. You know there's a toll to enter Southern Edge, right?"

"Really?" she answered, pushing a lock of silver hair behind her and looking straight at him with glowing green eyes and a mischievous smirk on her face. "I was not aware of that. How much?"

The man started to laugh. "How much, she asks," which caused the other three to laugh as well. "Why, only all of your Gil and your…" he studied her body, looking at her up and down, "very pleasurable company." The four laughed again and began to surround her. She answered with a smile.

"I see," she responded. "Gil isn't a problem, and I would love to spend time with you guys, but I have to get to Southern Edge."

"Oh, you'll go," reassured the leader. "When we tell you." Two of the men suddenly grabbed her from behind while the leader seized her and began to tear off her dark blue jacket. Surprisingly, she only met the action by rolling her eyes.

"You know, you could've actually just asked me to take it off," she said nonchalantly. "You didn't tear it did you?"

The leader held up her jacket, which had a prominent tear on the right sleeve. The man gave her a crooked grin and said, "And what if I did? You won't be needing it anymore anyway."

She took a deep breath as her green eyes narrowed. "You. Ripped. The. Jacket." The leader laughed loudly, her muttered "You're dead," going unnoticed.

The four weren't even given a chance. Within seconds, the leader was on the floor screaming with a pool of blood staining his shirt. The other three stepped back, horrified, as the silver-haired girl had suddenly disappeared from sight. One of them kneeled at the leader's side, pulling out a silver dagger that had been plunged into the leader's heart. The dark blue jacket was also missing.

"Where is she?" he asked, holding up the dagger for the other two to see. "Where the fuck did she go!!"

The other two looked around nervously and then one of them spoke up. "I-I don't know man. This is crazy! Didn't she look a lot like-,"

"Don't even say it!" warned the one holding her dagger. "Don't you even say that fucking name! You know we had told Budd that we've seen her around here before. I knew she was bad news, I just knew it!"

"So what're we gonna do?"

He stood up, clenching the dagger tightly. "Simple. That bitch is gonna pay for killing Budd. Next time we see her, she'll be as dead as Sephiroth."

The orphan slum girl with the silver hair was far into Southern Edge by the time the friends of the late Budd discovered her dagger. She walked casually down the street, wearing her blue jacket once again over a black shirt with a v-neck collar. Her pants were also black, as was her knee-high boots, which buckled over her calves. Within moments she had reached a shabby, three-story building, a rebuilt orphanage that had once been in Midgar's Sector 8. She had lived there all of her life.

She entered the orphanage, and almost immediately many surprised faces greeted her. She grinned, and over a dozen children ran to her, shouting joyfully, "Isis!"

Her smile broadened as she knelt down to meet the children. "Hey, kids! How've you all been?"

"Isis," said a little girl. "You're back! Did you find it?"

The happy smile upon Isis' face faltered a bit. "Listen, is Miss Wether here?"

"Yeah, she's out back," said a boy next to her. He was about twelve years of age. "But Isis, aren't you gonna tell us about the places you've been to? Did you see Gold Saucer and Cosmo Canyon?"

Isis put a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Yeah, I did see them, and I'll tell you all about them, but I need to see Miss Wether, it's important."

Isis stood up and walked past the children, all the way to the back of the building where a thin woman with graying hair in a braid was folding up a large white bed sheet. She wore a long lavender dress and her mid-aged face held several wrinkles.

"Clara," Isis called out to the older woman, and the woman turned to her, surprised.

"Isis…" Her large brown eyes became misty and she suddenly dropped the sheet she was folding to tightly embrace Isis.

"Alright! Alright!" Isis exclaimed, pulling the emotional woman from off of her. "I thought you couldn't stand me, Clara."

Clara stepped back, wiping tears from her eyes. "You stupid child…always getting yourself into trouble. Two years! Two years you've been away!"

"Well, it's taken me a long time to search…" Isis began to explain.

"Did you find it?" Clara asked, looking hopeful.

Isis looked to the ground and shook her head silently. "There's no cure Clara."

Clara shook her head defiantly. "No! That's not true! I refuse to believe that! There has to be a cure! There has to be!"

"I spoke to every wise man in Cosmo Canyon, the best doctors from Icicle Village to Mideel…none of them know of a way to cure Geostigma." She looked up at Clara with wide green eyes. "I even broke into Healin Lodge and threatened all the doctors to tell me! They only know of treatments to relieve the pain! If there was a cure, don't you think some one would've found it by now?"

Clara let out an exasperated sigh. "Nice Isis. Go ahead and threaten a bunch of poor doctors with your similar appearance to Sephiroth! It's amazing you didn't cause a world-wide crisis!"

"Poor doctors, my ass!" Isis exclaimed, enraged. "You should've seen them, they were scumbags! All of them! They don't even treat the normal patients as they should; the only person they treat right there as that stupid president!"

Clara narrowed her eyes. "President Rufus Shinra has done a lot for his people. If it weren't for him-,"

Isis slammed her hand against a wall. "That was _after_ Meteor! Before he didn't give a damn! The only reason he's helped us is because if he didn't, he wouldn't have anything to rule! Midgar was and still is his major source of income, even without Mako."

Clara shook her head. "You're only angry at those doctors because of that one man from the Shin-Ra Science Department. Not all doctors are bad, you know."

Isis crossed her arms. "Oh, I know they're not all bad, but those doctors are."

Throwing her arms up in the air, Clara replied, "Forget it, there's no arguing with you, ever. You're as stubborn and as hard-headed as a giant rock." She pretended not to see Isis' grin. "Now, you're gonna come with me to the store. We need to buy some more bandages for the kids."

Isis followed the caretaker out of the orphanage and down the street to a small market. It was fairly populated, and there were also come Shin-Ra soldiers, clad in blue uniforms, patrolling the area.

"They look a lot busier than usual," Isis remarked as they entered a store.

"That weird spaceship landed in the outskirts. All the soldiers are on high alert," Clara answered as she picked several items from off the shelf.

"So that's what that thing was," Isis said, glancing back out into the street.

Clara sighed. "I just hope everything turns out alright."

Isis placed a hand to her chin in thought. "Maybe the aliens came down here to give us a cure to Geostigma…"

"Don't be silly!" Clara chastised as she paid for the items and began to walk out of the store.

What awaited the two outside caught them off guard. People and pedestrians were screaming and running about as a line of men in white armor and helmets came marching down the street, weapons resembling guns in their hands. The few Shin-Ra soldiers that were present had formed a blockade at the Southern Edge gate, blocking the intruding army's path.

"State your business," said a soldier in a bright red uniform as the extra-terrestrial army stopped in front of them. A man in a crisp gray uniform stepped out in front of the white soldiers.

"We are on orders from Lord Vader," said the man in the gray uniform. "You are to surrender a human male with long silver hair who is approximately two meters in height, dressed in black, and armed with a long sword."

The Shin-Ra soldier in the red uniform laughed. "Afraid you're out of luck. Sephiroth has been dead for two years."

The gray uniformed man shook his head. "Failure to comply is unacceptable." At this, the white armored men raised their weapons and pointed them at the Shin-Ra troops, which caused the Shin-Ra soldiers to do the same in return. "Surrender him now."

Isis clenched her fists tightly and shook her head, looking anxious. "Shin-Ra is outnumbered! Look at 'em Clara! There's hundreds of them!"

"We told you already!" the red-clad soldier said. "Sephiroth is dead!"

"Then you must stand aside for us to search," answered the man with the gray uniform.

"Like hell we will!" the red soldier shot back. "This is a civilian area!"

Suddenly, a voice called out, "Now, now! He's right!" Isis was shocked to see the three men she had kept alive who tried to attack her before step out of an alley. The man in the middle stated, "Sephiroth is dead, but that don't mean he didn't leave any relatives behind."

The gray uniformed officer turned to him, looking disgusted with the man's disgruntled appearance. "What do you mean? Do you know who and were his relatives are?"

"Yeah!" exclaimed the man. "One of them is standing right there!" He then pointed straight at Isis, who stepped back in shock. "She's the one you want."

"Are you nuts?" Isis defended. "I'm not related to that psycho!"

The gray uniformed man waved a hand, and five troops made their way towards Isis. She turned quickly to Clara and said, "Get back to the orphanage and protect the kids."

"But-,"

"Just go!" Isis shouted and Clara took off at a run. Then, the white soldiers seized Isis and began to pull her away from the store entrance. "What are you doing? Stop! I told you, I've never seen him in my life!"

"You're coming with us for questioning," said the gray officer.

"But I never even knew Sephiroth!" Isis protested as she tried to pull away from the soldiers. At this, one of them was forced to pull her back and shove her to the ground. Isis looked up, only to see the barrel of the soldier's weapon pointed at her face. Her eyes narrowed, the jade color in them glowing almost as bright as neon and her black pupils narrowing to reptilian-like slits. Swirling green energy started to form around her arms as she pointed them at the soldier's stomach. Letting out an enraged yell, Isis released a ball of flame that had formed towards the soldiers. The white armored soldier flew back with a cry through the window of the store. Before she knew it, Isis was rolling away from laser blasts that had come out of the weapons of the white troops.

Somewhere along the time when she was trying to escape, a red laser blast had hit a Shin-Ra soldier, and a bigger conflict ensued. The Shin-Ra soldiers let loose an array of machinegun bullets while the invading troops countered with the laser blasts. As was evident in the beginning, Shin-Ra was severely outnumbered, though they did have one distinct advantage over the Imperial invaders: _materia_.

The remaining numbers of the Shin-Ra had stopped shooting and began to emanate the same green energy that Isis had displayed when she attacked the first soldier. Soon enough, powerful bursts of fire, electricity, and ice began to bring down many of the white-masked troops, evening the odds for the Shin-Ra.

Isis now held two sharp daggers in her hands, both bigger than the one she had left with Budd's dead body. She had quickly learned that the daggers were not sharp enough to penetrate the armor of the invaders so she had to resort to striking the space between their helmets and their body armor, which were primarily their necks.

"It's the girl we want!" the gray officer shouted as he fired a smaller version of his comrade's weapon at a Shin-Ra troop. "Set your blasters to stun!"

Isis flipped backwards over one of the attacking men and then quickly flipped over him again as he turned around to shoot her, stabbing him in the back of his neck before he had to time to even look behind him again. She began to run again as more shots were fired at her, this time the shots a clear-bluish color. However, one of the shots hit her left hand, forcing her to drop one dagger as her arm went entirely numb. Wincing, she grasped a long chain around her neck, which held a small green orb. Though she could not hold it for long, the numbing in her hand had intensified. She turned around as she had realized that she reached a dead end in the alley she was seeking refuge in. Suddenly, a painful jolt hit her stomach and Isis was sent reeling back into a wall, her whole world going black at the same time.


	5. War of the Worlds

**Disclaimer**: This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover. I do not own in any way any of the characters associated with Lucas Films or Square-Enix. The only characters that belong to me are any original ones that may appear through out the course of the story.

This story takes place just two before Star Wars: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Four: War of the Worlds**

Grogginess met Cloud like a hot frying pan hitting him in the face. The room seemed to spin for a moment when he sat up, and oddly, he felt somewhat refreshed. Cloud could not exactly describe the feeling, but he felt as if he were breathing clean air for the first time. When the room stopped spinning, Cloud looked confused at his surroundings, until he finally remembered what had happened.

_He must've been only choking me for thirty seconds or so_, Cloud thought as he leaned against the sterile white wall, _not long enough to kill me_. Cloud supposed that it was Vader who was choking him before, even if there were no hands around his neck when it happened. He guessed that Vader had some kind of telekinetic ability in which he could use his mind to move or alter objects, which in this case happened to be Cloud's windpipe.

Cloud stood up and began to look around. There were no cracks or holes in the metal walls, and the air vents in the floors were much too small for him to crawl through. Cloud stepped up to the door. It was shut tight and almost impenetrable, and there was no window or slip in it to see the outside. He felt under the long sleeve of his left arm and grasped a thick metal armlet. He said with a sigh, "Guess I've gotta take my chances." He looked down at the armlet, eyeing the three small shining orbs within them; two green, one purple. Holding his arms out in front of him and closing his eyes, Cloud began to concentrate. He felt a comforting coolness on his arms, the familiar green energy that emanated off of him. He delved deeper into his concentration, imagining a horrible thunderstorm with lightning striking everywhere. He suddenly felt a powerful energy forming in between in palms that was difficult to contain. Opening his dark blue eyes, which were now glowing very brightly, Cloud clenched his teeth, holding the contained ball of raw electricity between his hands. Releasing his hands slightly, the ball of electricity shot towards the door, blowing a gaping hole through its entirety.

Almost immediately, alarms began to sound and shouts of command were made. Cloud climbed through the hole and found himself in a very narrow dark hallway. Red blasts were shot at him the moment he stepped out, and Cloud was forced to press himself against a wall for cover, though it wasn't very much. He heard footsteps approaching and soon spotted several stormtroopers approaching and shooting their blasters furiously at him.

Cloud let loose two more bursts of electricity, bringing down the two stormtroopers in the front. He was using the narrow space of the hallway to his advantage, for the stormtroopers could not line up more than two at a time, hence slowing down their progress. With timed execution of his powerful energy attacks, Cloud was able to bring down the seven or eight troops that were sent to take him out. He ran down the hallway as fast as he could until he came to a constricting round-shaped control room where turrets were shooting at him as well as black-uniformed guards. Cloud rolled for cover behind a computer terminal and used the power he displayed before to destroy the turret guns around the room as well as the guards, making sure to leave only one standing.

The remaining guard scrambled over to a microphone to call for help, but was met by the barrel of a blaster before he could press the button to call. It wasn't Cloud's preference to use guns but until he retrieved his sword he did not have much of a choice. He did not want to waste his energy by using his complicated attacks either.

"Don't even think about calling for back-up," Cloud spat, his glowing blue eyes glaring daggers into the man. The black-uniformed officer slowly edged away from the microphone, looking cross-eyed at the blaster that was pointed at his face. "I want my sword," Cloud said in a menacing tone, and nodding nervously, the officer punched in a code which opened a hidden compartment in the wall, in which Cloud's giant sword and weapons of other kinds (all of which he had never seen before) were located. Keeping the blaster trained on the officer, Cloud walked over to the wall and retrieved his sword, holding it one hand while pointing the blaster with the other.

Noting the red light that was blinking and the alarm that still sounded in the air, Cloud commanded, "You're going to turn off that alarm, then you're going to call them back and tell them that everything is fine." The officer pushed a different button on the surface of the terminal and leaned forward into the microphone.

"This is Lieutenant Karn, reporting from Detention Block C," said the officer nervously into the microphone while eyeing the blaster in Cloud's grasp.

"_What is it_?" asked a voice from the speaker. "_What happened?_"

"Accidental weapons malfunction," replied Karn. "Situation is stable now."

"_Do you need a squad for clean-up?_"

Seeing Cloud's eyes narrow, Karn nervously replied, "Uh, negative, sir, we've already called one up."

"_Are the prisoners secure?_"

"10-4," he replied, "they are secure. Karn out."

The guard then proceeded to shut off the alarms, and when he was finished, Cloud commanded, "Pick a cell, and stay in there." The guard gave him an incredulous look and Cloud jabbed the blaster into his chest in response. "Go." Karn proceeded down the hallway, clicked a button on a panel next to a cell door, making the cell door hiss open in response. Cloud shoved him inside, and then stared at the panel for several moments.

"If green is to open it, then the yellow button must be to close it," Cloud muttered to himself while looking over the control panel, "which means that the red one must be to lock it..."

Standing in the cell, the Lieutenant replied, "If you can't seem to close a door, then you people really _are_ primitive."

"Shut up!" Cloud growled, looking in his direction, then back at the panel.

"Look, the functions are written the buttons. It's not that difficult."

Cloud glared at him. "And just how the hell am I supposed to understand this chocobo-scratch? We may speak the same language, but you people have some kind of backwards alphabet. Just sit there and shut up. I've got it."

Shaking his head with a sigh, the Imperial officer sat down in the cell and began to stare at the ceiling. Cloud then pressed the yellow button which caused the door to fall closed, and then pushed the red button. Cloud heard a lock click in place. Turning away from the door, Cloud sighed, dropping the blaster and looking at the orbs in his armlet. "Thank the Cetra for materia..."

Picking up his massive sword and leaning it on his shoulder, Cloud ran down the hallway and went through the door in the round-shaped control room, ending up in a large hallway, whose floor was so clean and smooth that he could see his reflection in it. A group of stormtroopers were marching in perfect order down the end of the hallway, their backs towards Cloud. He used the opportunity to run down the opposite end, looking around almost frantically for any more stormtroopers.

_It's no doubt these people have surveillance cameras of some kind around here,_ Cloud thought as he dashed behind the corner of an adjoining hallway as another group of storm troopers marched past._ I wonder why they haven't sent anyone after me yet? None of them are heading towards the prison cells…_

Cloud decided to head down the hallway he had hid behind of and sooner than he had expected, Cloud was lost in a massive array of similar, if not the same hallways.

"Damn maze," he muttered. "Why did they have to make it so big?"

A loud voice startled Cloud, for it boomed through the entire area. Before he could find a place to hide, Cloud realized that it was just an announcement being made over an intercom.

"_ALL AVAILABLE TROOPS ARE TO REPORT TO THE MAIN HANGAR BAY IMMEDIATELY. REPEAT: ALL TROOPS ARE TO REPORT TO THE MAIN HANGAR BAY FOR IMMEDIATE DEPARTURE._"

Cloud stared up at the large speaker in the ceiling from which the voice was resounding. "They're going to attack…?" His eyes hardening into a glare, he realized, _So that's where they were all going…which means that in order to find a way out of here, all I have to do is follow them._

"Easier said than done," he said quietly to himself as he snuck a peek around a corner. Fortunately for him, a large group of stormtroopers were rushing down quickly to reach the main hangar bay. Cloud followed behind them, keeping a considerable distance away so that they would not hear or notice him. Suddenly, the group stopped, and entered through a door next to them which resembled an elevator to Cloud.

"Crap," he muttered as he hid behind yet another corner. All of the stormtroopers entered the elevator and quickly the door closed. Cloud cautiously approached it, and stared up at the blinking lights on top of the door. The elevator of sorts was going down. He pushed a button to call it up and a lot sooner than he had expected it to, the doors opened. He stepped inside as the doors closed, yet he stared confused at the panel of buttons inside.

"Great, more chocobo-scratch," he sighed. He stared at the three rows of buttons, trying to decide which one would take him to the floor the stormtroopers were. He chose the first one all the way at the bottom, hoping that the hangar bay was on the ground floor of the ship, and also hoping that the first button on the bottom was labeled for the ground floor.

Cloud had been prepared to wait for the elevator to reach the floor he asked for by leaning against the wall, but before he could barely feel the elevator move, the doors opened, and he was somewhere entirely new.

"That was quick," said Cloud, getting up from the wall and slowly stepping out. What he saw caused him to quickly behind a large pillar. It was a massive hangar, bigger than any he had ever seen before, filled to every corner by the white armored stormtroopers, all organized and lined up for battle. There were also ships in the hangar, all considerably smaller than the frigate he was standing in, which made Cloud think they were for aerial combat. Strange looking as the ships were to him, he knew that the Empire who captured him would not hesitate to use them.

_Look at them, _he thought, peeking around the corner of the pillar. _They'll slaughter the Shin-Ra! Even with materia, we don't stand a chance against these guys! There's just too many of them._ A loud rumbling noise startled him then. Gargantuan metal doors slowly opened up at the end of the hangar, and as he was observing, he suddenly caught the sight of a familiar vehicle not very far from him. Just several yards away sat his motorbike, surrounded by three officers dressed in white uniforms who seemed to have been studying it.

"_Fenrir_…" he whispered, grasping the hilt of his sword tightly. Quietly, he sneaked over to where his motorcycle stood, the three technician officers surrounding it not taking notice. In a swift move, Cloud knocked one of them out with the hilt of the sword, punching the second one in the stomach, making him double over onto the ground, and punched the last one in the neck with his fist. Once he was sure they were all unconscious, he mounted the motorcycle, waiting patiently as the legion of stormtroopers stood still and silent, watching the opening door.

_They better have not been taking you apart, Fenrir,_ Cloud thought angrily while quickly checking over the entirety of the motorbike. Nothing seemed to be out of place for the moment. A ramp began to slide out from where the doors opened, revealing the Midgar wastelands again. Once it touched the ground outside, the stormtroopers began to march out, their synchronized footfalls making a deranged sort of beat, especially fit for the ruthless Empire invading the planet. Cloud waited until they were all out, which took a considerably long while for all of the troops to file out. Once he thought he had enough room, Cloud ignited the engine and gunned it down the empty hangar, immediately receiving shouts of an escaped prisoner from somewhere above.

Cloud's eyes narrowed as the doors began to close. It was obvious that the Imperials were planning to shut him inside. Several officers came running to block his path, aiming blasters at him. He responded by swinging his sword in their directions, cutting one across the chest, and severing the arm off of another. The remaining guards shot at him and he raised his sword behind him so that the blasts hit the sword instead of him, leaving black charred marks on its blade.

The door was little more than halfway closed. The space for him to escape narrowing even more, Cloud accelerated, and suddenly the motorbike was standing up on it's rear wheel, the front one up in the air. Once he reached the exit and the ramp, the motorcycle flew through the air, skipping the ramp entirely just as the doors closed behind him. It landed hard onto the ground on both wheels, and to keep control of it, Cloud had to turn slightly the other way. The stunt had of course informed the stormtroopers outside of his presence and immediately, an assortment of red laser blasts were shot at him. Cloud ran the motorcycle around the group nearest to him, trying to stay as far away as possible from the army.

He was able to cut down any that came near him, but he knew that he would not be able to dodge and block the blasts with his sword for long. He began to travel in a direction immediately away from Midgar, and surprisingly enough, the stormtroopers stopped chasing him altogether.

_Then the battle must've already begun,_ he mused. _Maybe I'm low priority right now, but I doubt it._ He rode on for about half an hour through the wasteland that surrounded Midgar until he came up on the cliff where he had first seen the transport that landed on the planet. It also gave an overall view of Midgar and to his shock, he could see a large battle brewing just outside the city. It was an exchange of bullets and lasers, and occasionally he could see spells being cast from materia – lightning falling from the sky, and bursts of flame engulfing stormtroopers. It looked small from where he stood, but he knew the battle was anything but.

A soft ringing took his attention away from the battle, and he quickly realized that it was his cell phone. Picking it up, he said, "Hello?" The voice that responded in his ear never filled him with more relief.

"Cloud!" exclaimed Tifa's voice. "Where were you, I've been trying to get a hold of you for hours! Was your phone turned off or something?"

Immediately Cloud knew that the reason his phone hadn't been working was because there was interference inside the ship. "My phone wasn't working. Listen Tifa, are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm okay, I'm here in the bar with the kids from the orphanage." She could almost sense the desperation in his voice so she asked, "Why? What's going on Cloud? Are you all right?"

Cloud sighed. "It's a long story. Listen, you have to get out of Edge, you and Marlene and the kids are all in danger there. They're attacking."

"I know," Tifa responded, unnaturally calm about the situation. "The battle is outside the city. The kids are all scared. We can hear the gun shots from here, and I would have left with them, but I don't want to put them in the middle of danger."

"Tifa," Cloud replied, sounding even more desperate. "You're already in danger. Shin-Ra is severely outnumbered, and it won't be long until they invade the city. Trust me Tifa, these guys are dangerous, they don't care about the lives of others, much less children. You have to get out of there. Take the kids to the city exit on the opposite end of where the battle is at, and meet me in Kalm."

"But Cloud," she protested, "everyone's been trying to evacuate for hours! The exits are all blocked by traffic!"

"Then take the train or something," Cloud answered. "I don't care how, just get out of there Tifa!" He was about to hang up when she spoke again.

"Reno called here Cloud," Tifa stated. "He wants you to go see Rufus at Healin Lodge, he says it's urgent."

Cloud cursed under his breath. What in the name of the Cetra could the Shin-Ra President want at this time? He wasn't exactly on good terms with the Rufus Shinra because of all the things he had done to them in the past, but Cloud figured that if he went to see him then Rufus could give him information on what was going on.

"Did he say anything else?" Cloud asked.

"No, just that Shin-Ra was going to handle the invasion, and that was about it."

"Okay," Cloud replied, "I'm going to see him, since Healin Lodge is on the way to Kalm, and I'll meet you there when I'm done. Just make sure you get to Kalm at all costs, alright?"

"Alright," Tifa responded, sounding more than a little anxious. "You be careful Cloud."

"You too," he replied. "I'll see you soon, I promise." He then hung up the phone and gunned his engine down back to the main dirt road than ran from Midgar, heading in a southeast direction.

_All right, time to see just what the hell is going on here.

* * *

_

If they hadn't been able to drive the invaders out of Southern Edge and out of the city, the Shin-Ra forces would have already been wiped out and the city destroyed. Luckily, the powers of the materia they used caught the invaders off guard and Shin-Ra was able to drive them back.

Soon enough, reinforcements were called in, and a major battle ensued just outside the city. Two posts had been set up; one on the side of Shin-Ra and the other belonging to the Imperial invaders. The battle had yet to stop, and unfortunately for the Shin-Ra, the outnumbering forces of the Empire were taking them out.

However, the General leading the Shin-Ra army, Naomi Posada, refused to give up. As a member of the First Class ranks of SOLDIER, she had helped win the epic war against the nation of Wutai, and they had been outnumbered then as well. She refused to give in to the same situation.

Standing along side a line of Shin-Ra soldiers, she fought with two powerful customized pistols in both her hands, executing rounds two at time from each gun, which was powerful enough to penetrate the white armor of the stormtroopers. It was that and her materia, which were keeping her alive. With her favored blizzard materia, enormous spikes of ice stabbed through many of her enemies, something hard for even the stormtrooper's armor to defend against.

She was used to the loud clatter of the machine guns around her, and she was very used to expecting the unexpected. As she was shooting, a stormtrooper threw a small metal sphere at her feet, her glowing blue eyes widening in realization as its red lights began to blink faster and faster.

"Grenade!" she shouted as she jumped away from the deafening blast that came just seconds later. Taking cover on the ground she heard the anguished screams from several of her men and troops. The Shin-Ra immediately responded by pulling the pins off of their own grenades, holding them a few seconds before throwing them to prevent the enemy from throwing them back.

Countless numbers of explosions filled the battlefield, and many could not find a place to duck for cover. Once everyone on both sides of the battle had expended their grenades and explosive weapons, all fighting had ceased and only dust could be seen. Naomi stood up, trying to look through the enormous cloud of dust, for she could not even see the remainder of her troops – if there were any left.

As she was staring hard through the dust, a glowing red blade suddenly appeared within it, and in response she automatically began shooting at it, knowing in her gut that the blade did not belong to any of her men. As if on reflex, the blade moved swiftly to block the bullets, making the bullets deflect and shoot back at her. She jumped out of the way high into the air, shooting down at her enemy directly beneath her. More of her bullets were deflected and she landed on her feet behind the enemy (at least she thought she was behind it), clenching her teeth and blowing a piece of stray black hair out of her face.

As the dust began to clear, everything became silent once again, and loud mechanic breathing filled her ears. A feeling of dread filled her, though she knew not the reason why it did. Naomi gripped her guns tighter as a tall figure shrouded in black moved towards her through the dust in wide but graceful steps. Holding the illuminated red blade at his side, the masked figure stopped just feet away from her, towering almost two feet over her.

"The Force is strong with you," said the tall figure in a deep voice, "but now you will surrender or perish." At his words, weapons clicked around her, and she stood with the blasters of several dozen stormtroopers surrounding her.

_Am I truly the only one left?_ she asked herself as she looked down at the barrels, her eyes wide with fear and apprehension. Her glowing eyes locked onto the masked figure before her. Glaring and raising her head in defiance she claimed, "Shin-Ra will _never_ surrender."

The figure stood silent, then his voice suddenly boomed, "As you wish." He lifted up one arm towards her, and just as he did, she felt invisible fingers clamp around her throat. Naomi gasped, but no air filled her lungs. Dropping one pistol, her hand reached her to throat in an attempt to pry the invisible fingers off.

"Don't move," said a voice, and Naomi's very being filled with a victorious relief as she witnessed a troupe of Shin-Ra soldiers surround the stormtroopers that had surrounded her, the machine guns pointed at their heads. "Let General Posada go."

The black figure put his arm down and Naomi doubled over, coughing for air. Picking up her gun from the floor she holstered it and pointed the other desert eagle at him, smiling in proud triumph.

"The only one surrendering here will be you," she said, beginning to concentrate. A yellow orb in a round groove within the barrel of her gun began to glow brightly as the tip of it began to form a ball of yellow energy. Seeing this, the figure brought his glowing crimson blade up, ready to deflect it. _Deathblow! _her mind screamed as she pulled the trigger, but within a hair's second she moved her aim from the figure to a creature that was above him, jumping towards her. The energy from her gun blasted towards it, causing the creature to explode in a gust of shadow. Within moments, the entire battlefield was filled with the same creatures, and soon it was every man and woman for themselves.


	6. Appetite for Destruction

**Disclaimer: **This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover. I do not own in any way any of the characters associated with Lucas Films or Square-Enix. The only characters that belong to me are any original ones that may appear through out the course of the story.

This story takes place just two years before Star Wars: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Five: Appetite for Destruction**

Marlene Wallace looked through the drawers in Tifa's bedroom, trying to find the materia armlet that Tifa had asked for. So far, she had no luck, for the materia armlet was being strangely elusive. Marlene tried her best not to disorganize all of the contents within the drawers, but after a while of not being able to find it, keeping it organized was close to almost impossible.

Marlene's heart raced due to the rushed feeling that Tifa's Seventh Heaven suddenly gave off. Tifa had gotten off the phone with someone and immediately began to run around the house, gathering things. She had told the orphans not to panic, that they were going to stay in Kalm for a little while. When they inquired about the rest of the orphans in Southern Edge, she had to reassure them that they would more than likely meet them in Kalm as well.

Marlene finally found the small materia armlet and held it gently in her small hands, starting at it for several moments. The six-year old was more than a little troubled. She was worried about her father and she wanted to see him. As she was staring down at the glittering materia jewels, an arm suddenly latched onto her's, making her gasp. She looked to see an orphan boy standing next to Denzel who found enough strength to get out of bed. Both boys had vacant expressions in their eyes. The boy next to Denzel pulled on Marlene and said, "Come on! There's someone who found a cure to Geostigma!" Marlene tried to pull back, almost not believing it, but the orphan boy was strong enough to pull her out of the room, causing her to drop Tifa's materia armlet on the floor. Only the excited cries of children were heard outside as the front door of Tifa's Seventh Heaven closed shut.

Tifa emerged from the bathroom, strapping fighting gloves onto her hands when she called out, "Marlene, did you find it?" The silence in the building caused Tifa to run out into the bedroom. "Marlene? Denzel?" No answer, not even so much from any of the other orphans. Tifa paced around the room wearing a worried expression on her face. She stopped, narrowly avoiding the materia armlet on the floor from being crushed. Tifa picked it up and held it for several moments before grasping it tightly, running downstairs and out into the street.

_Well, at least they're going the right way,_ she thought as she spotted the group of orphans far across the street. The sounds of explosive gunfire in the distance made Tifa wince, thoroughly glad that the children did not go into Southern Edge. She followed them, feeling a strange foreboding within her that increased when she watched the children eventually climb over the barricades that separated the Edge Sector from the Midgar ruins.

The ruins were silent, minus the distant gunfire in the distance and the excited voices of the children as they wandered into the gravesite of those that had perished from Meteorfall. Tifa glanced momentarily up at the giant metal plate that loomed over the ruins, broken in some places, but intimidating nonetheless. She was reminded of darker times, when all of Midgar's people suffered under that very plate, hidden from the sun and from the sky, while the wealthy Shinra family lived above it in the central main skyscraper, the headquarters for Shin-Ra Electric Power Company, exploiting the money they earned from the starving people in the slums below. She was reminded of why she fought then, two years ago, and why she should continue fighting now that a new enemy had arrived to make the people suffer again.

The brunette bar hostess grew desperate as some time passed and the children ventured deeper into the ghostly ruins. There were buildings she had recognized from her time living in the slums of Midgar, and after having to endure seeing the wreckage that was Sector 7, where her Seventh Heaven bar was originally located, the children finally stopped, entering an old, but still standing church in the middle of Sector 5.

Tifa stared up at the wooden oak doors of the church, her heart skipping a beat. The building was bathed in warm sunlight, blessing no other part of the city of Midgar save for that one. The corners of her eyes filled with tears as she grasped the thin pink ribbon tied around her arm. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open and stepped inside the church. Running past the rows of oak benches, she caught sight of Marlene standing alone in the middle of a large bed of white and yellow flowers in front of the altar with tears streaming down her face.

"Marlene," Tifa cried, kneeling down in front of the girl and placing her hands on her shoulders. "What happened?"

Marlene sniffed. "They said someone found the cure, and we came here. Now they want to play hide-and-seek, but I...I can't!" She covered her face in her hands and began to sob quietly.

"Oh, Marlene..." said Tifa as she put her arms around the crying girl. "It's okay Marlene, I miss her too." A silver tear slid down the side of Tifa's face as she thought about their lost friend who had once inhabited the church. "It's okay to cry Marlene, but I don't think she would want you to be sad, right?" Marlene whimpered and looked up at Tifa, wiping away the tears with her hands. Smiling, Tifa suggested, "Come on, let's find our friends and get to Kalm, then we can play more hide-and-seek where it's safe."

Marlene reached out to Tifa's face, wiping away the one lone trail with her thumb. "You were crying too, Tifa. She wouldn't want either of us to be sad."

Tifa nodded and stood up. "You're right." She took a hold of Marlene's hand and scanned the church with her eyes. "Now let's find where the others are hiding so that we can get out of here." Marlene however had let go of Tifa's hand and ran to a spot where a sleeping bag and lantern had been set up, picking up a white bandage and showing it to her.

"Does Cloud live here, Tifa?" Marlene asked, and Tifa only stared with darkened eyes at the bandage in the girl's hand. Marlene's eyes widened with worry. "Cloud isn't sick is he?"

Tifa looked at the ground, shaking her head slightly, instantly knowing why she had seen Cloud so pale when she last saw him and why he had refused to talk about it. She remembered the hopeless look in his eyes when he spoke to her. "I don't think he will fight it, Marlene."

Marlene clenched her fist around the bandage and exclaimed, "But he has to fight it! Cloud is the strongest person I know!" A low and foreign chuckle in the air made her jump as well as Tifa.

"Hey…wanna play?"

Tifa's eyes widened at the sight of the man who had just entered the church. He walked slowly towards them, his face holding a smirk and his green eyes holding nothing more than intent to do harm. He wore all black leather and his short spiked hair shined a silver platinum color, making Tifa's heart beat madly with fear that the man before her could somehow be related to the one who intended to make himself a 'God' two years ago.

"Who are you?" Tifa demanded, quickly grabbing hold of Marlene's hand and sending a cold glare in the man's direction.

The man with the silver hair replied with a mock bow. "My name is Loz." Looking up at her he asked, "Where's Mother?"

The way he rolled the word 'Mother' off of his tongue made Tifa nearly flinch with the returning nightmares of her past. Refusing to lose her cool she looked around the room. "There's no one here!"

"Fine then," replied Loz, running a gloved hand through his spiked hair. "Play with me."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tifa spat. "Now leave us alone, whoever you are."

Loz looked up at the gaping hole in the ceiling and began to laugh, sending chills down Tifa's spine. Quite suddenly, the orphans who were hiding from Marlene emerged from their hiding places behind benches and pillars and stood directly behind Loz, their eyes vacant of emotion.

"Kids," Tifa gasped. "What are you doing? Get away from him!" She noted Denzel who was standing in the front. His clear blue eyes were not as empty looking as the other children's. "Denzel!"

"He says his brother has the cure, Mom," Denzel replied. "If he does..."

Tifa's eyes widened anxiously. "Denzel! This man is dangerous! He'll hurt you the first chance-,"

Loz placed a hand on Denzel's shoulder who was now looking doubtful about Loz's intentions, but as soon as Loz touched him, Denzel's eyes emptied of thought.

Clenching her fist and tightening her hold around Marlene's hand, Tifa shouted, "What did you do to him?"

Loz shrugged in a seemingly innocent gesture. "Nothing, nothing at all." Tifa turned away from him and knelt down in front of Marlene, looking deadly serious.

"Marlene, it's going to get dangerous here. I want you to find a place to hide, and the first chance you get, run away, go back to the bar and call Cloud. Understand?" Marlene nodded nervously and Tifa pushed her gently. "Go." Immediately, Marlene ran away from the scene and hid behind a large pillar next to an oak bench.

Loz's frighteningly vivid green eyes brightened enthusiastically as Tifa tightened the gloves around her hands. "So you're actually going to play now?"

Tifa said nothing in return and took a fighting stance. Loz smirked. "Finally." He titled his head back, causing it to crack and then did the same for his knuckles. "Well then," he said, flexing his fingers. With speed almost impossible to comprehend when seen by the average person, Loz had charged at Tifa, throwing punches and kicks her way.

After almost two years of not using them, Tifa's trained martial arts reflexes returned to her just in time to block Loz attacks. Her speed matched his, and at some moments she was even faster than he was. Finding an opening, Tifa jumped up with a back-spinning kick towards Loz's face. With a pained grunt, Loz stumbled backwards, and once she was on the ground he jabbed her hard in her stomach, causing her to hunch over which he then used the opportunity to kick her across her face. Tifa flew back into the bed of flowers with a pained cry and stopped in front of the altar.

"And here I was told that Tifa Lockheart of AVALANCHE was a challenge," said a laughing Loz as he stepped up to her form and looked down at her. A thin trail of blood was trailing down the left side of her mouth and a bruise was already starting to form on her cheek. Loz stared down at her with a sneer. "Quite pathetic actually."

Loz wasn't prepared for what happened next. Tifa swung her leg out and Loz tripped backwards onto the ground. Standing up, Tifa wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and proceeded to bring her leg down onto Loz's neck in a fatal blow, but Loz rolled out of the way and stood up several yards away from her. With a low growl resounding in her throat, Tifa ran after him, and like an acrobat she leaped onto the wall, kicked off of it in the direction of a column and kicked off of that as well which gave her the momentum she needed to kick Loz across the face again. He flew back and Tifa did not even give him a chance to land as she kicked at his body again several times. Once he was finally sliding on the ground she flipped over him, sliding back on her feet so that she would be ready for the next move.

Loz stood up, his green eyes narrowed dangerously and his teeth clenched. Brushing himself off he said, "You'll pay for that Lockheart." He smirked and taunted her by holding out his hand and gesturing her to come to him. "Come, come, pretty Lockheart, so I can teach you how to fight."

Tifa charged at him with a battle cry and performed an onslaught of kicks and punches that Loz was barely able to defend against. As he brought his arms down to parry one of her punches she kicked him hard across the face with a satisfying "TWACK!" sound. Loz's head flung backward, but when she tried to kick him again, he grabbed hold of her leg, lifted her up and began to spin her body around several times. Tifa became dizzy with the room's objects blurring past, and before she knew it, Loz had thrown her using the centrifugal force he had created. She knew she was flying upward, and while airborne she flipped in the air, allowing herself to grab hold of one of the wooden beams across the tall church door, and planting her booted feet firmly across the wooden surface of it.

Loz stood looking up at her. Pedals from the flowerbed slowly fell, for they had been thrown up when he threw Tifa across the room. The yellow and white pedals rained down like a curtain of falling feathers from the sky. Tifa glared back at Loz, her normally soft brown eyes narrowed, and looking almost wine red in color.

"I take back what I said," Loz apologized as he stepped forward towards the door. Tifa continued to glare at him from above, her hand grasped tightly around the wooden beam across the door. Loz continued, "You are quite the challenge. It's too bad I don't have time to play with you anymore…"

Tifa's eyebrows knitted together in confusion as Loz pulled out a weapon and attached it to his arm, aiming it at her. With a gasp she let go of the door to jump off, but as she was in the air a burst of clear blue energy shot from the weapon at her and pushed her back, filling her entire body with an agonizing pain. With a cry, Tifa fell down hard onto the flowerbed, all of the bones in her body aching painfully.

"Come on," she heard Loz's voice say. "Let me show you that cure." Tifa's vision was clouded and blurred, and she could not see what was going on. She could only hear the frightened cries of a protesting Marlene, which were heard further and further which each passing second.

Tifa's head was throbbing. "Mar..lene…" She couldn't move, even with Marlene's yells calling her. She had been immobilized somehow, and the pain she felt was almost unbearable. She blinked several times before closing both eyes completely and letting darkness take her.

* * *

Vader hadn't seen the Shin-Ra General since the Shadowcreepers attacked. Once again, he was not able to sense them approaching, and the idea that they were able to hide their presence in the Force infuriated him. So he struck down each one that approached him, not even allowing them to land a single blow on him. With each swipe of his crimson lightsaber, a shadowcreeper exploded into darkness.

"Lord Vader!" called out a stormtrooper and Vader turned to him. The stormtrooper saluted him, his white helmet containing a large scratch across the front. "Our forces have been trying to hold the creatures back, but they're making their way towards our transports!"

"Contact _the Devastator_," Vader ordered, "and order them to ready the frigates for takeoff."

"Very well my Lord," replied the stormtrooper. "What would you like to do with the prisoner we took from the city?"

"Take her aboard, and make sure she is not damaged before her meeting with the Emperor," Vader commanded.

The stormtrooper saluted. "Yes my Lord!" He then left to fulfill Darth Vader's wishes, but not before Vader's communicator beeped with an incoming message.

"_Lord Vader! A prisoner has escaped! And the vehicle we confiscated from him is gone as well!"_

Vader gripped the communicator in his hand hard enough to crush it if he wished to. "Cloud Strife…" Once the battle was finished and he was back aboard the frigate, he would remind himself to punish whoever was responsible. "Deploy a squadron of TIE fighters. Have them search for Cloud Strife and bring him to me, dead or alive."

He ended the transmission and ignited his lightsaber once again, letting the anger and hate he was feeling consume him. He fed off of his fury, using it as power source against the shadowcreepers. One of the creatures jumped at him and he held out a hand, the shadowcreeper stopped in mid-air convulsing violently. Vader concentrated on the dark side of the Force, and with the use of his mind, he tore the creature apart limb from limb. The shadowcreeper shrieked in agony before exploding into another cloud of blackness.

_I must find where these creatures are coming from,_ Vader thought as he brought down another one with his glowing red blade of light. _I sense that they are being controlled by an individual or perhaps a group of them. I will eradicate them before they ruin my master's plans._

As he was fighting, he could see the remainder of the Shin-Ra troops trying to hold their own. They hadn't been attacking the stormtroopers nor the stormtroopers been attacking them since the shadowcreepers arrived. Vader witnessed the Shin-Ra soldiers unleash their attacks of ice, lightning, and fire more than once, and it was proving to be quite effective against the creatures.

_They seemed to have harnessed the powers of the Force in a way that I've never seen before. I must find out where and how they have retrieved this power._ Vader ran towards one of the Shin-Ra soldiers who was unleashing an attack of lightning at an oncoming shadowcreeper. He noted the small glowing orbs stuck in the grooves of the soldier's firing weapon, and how they glowed brighter each time an attack of electricity was released.

_I see…_ Vader realized. _Those orbs are some kind of physical manifestations of the Force. _He felt a familiar presence near him and turned around, hearing the voice of the Shin-Ra General from the beginning of the battle.

"Hey," she called out, her chin length black hair bouncing up a bit as she was running. She had both her weapons in her hands, but she was not aiming them at him. "You ever see these monsters before?"

"No," Vader answered shortly. "I assumed that your kind was familiar with them."

The Shin-Ra General shook her head. "We hadn't had monsters here for over two years, and I've never seen any that looked like those before." The General looked off to the distance, her glowing blue eyes holding a far away and thoughtful look. Then she suddenly looked back at him, her eyes holding an urgent expression. "We can't let them get to the Edge sector!"

Vader turned away from her, waving a hand dismissively. "That city is not my concern."

Her eyes narrowed. "Look, I have no idea why you people are here, but if you're looking for something, then destroying the place where you might find it isn't going to help you. If those monsters get to Edge, they'll destroy everything they see!"

Vader turned to her suddenly, his cape billowing behind him. "Are you surrendering to the Empire then?"

"Of course not!" she shot back. "I'm just suggesting a temporary truce until we get rid of these things. We won't be able to fight them off if we keep fighting each other. We'll have a better chance at defeating them if we help each other for the time being. Then, you can go back to all the fighting and destruction you want. If we don't destroy these things, neither of our sides will be able to get what we want. This whole battle against these monsters is a waste of time for both of us and you know it."

Vader stared at her and she stared back, yet he could sense the apprehension she was feeling from him. Finally he stated, "Very well. Your troops will help mine defeat the creatures, but after that you will either surrender or die."

She sighed as Vader walked away. "Fair enough, I guess," she stated with a shrug and then turned to a Shin-Ra trooper who approached her.

"General Posada, the enemy ship is taking off!" barked the soldier, pointing at the sky. General Naomi Posada looked up at the sky to see the giant black ship in which Vader had arrived slowly start to take off.

"I guess they're doing it to protect the ship," she replied. "I really doubt they're actually going to leave anytime soon."

* * *

Cloud had slowed down considerably. The pain in his left arm had returned, and this time it was twice as painful than the last time he had felt it. Not able to bear it any longer, Cloud stopped the motorbike and sat upon it, staring at his covered arm with pained eyes.

"I know now that I am not fit to help anyone. Not my family, not even my friends…" Cloud stared at the sky, only to see the invading ship take off. "How could I fight against something like _that_?"

A high-pitched whirring noise filled his ears and Cloud looked behind him. The moment he did, three small ships had already moved in front of him. He looked at each of them as they hovered in the air, waiting for him to make a move. They were the same strange ships he had seen in the main hangar bay of that frigate transport. Each was steel-gray in color and were round, despite the two large flat panels on the sides of each ship. His eyes widening, Cloud turned the motorcycle back on and accelerated it to its top speed as soon as the ships began to fire at him. The powerful green lasers narrowly missed him and shot the ground, bringing up massive clouds of dirt as he was trying to escape.

_I know there's no way I can outrun these things. _Cloud looked up as the motorcycle raced down the dirt road, watching the three ships above him, knowing in his gut that the ships weren't moving nearly as fast as they really could. He raised an arm up towards one of them and a bolt of lightning struck out from his hand, hitting the ship on its underbelly. The ship halted and shook, emitting electricity around the hull and then began to spin out of control. Cloud accelerated again as the pilot of the ship he had hit maneuvered away from the scene to prevent the ship from crashing. The other two however had continued to pursue him, shooting the powerful green lasers at him which made the ground shake underneath him upon impact. Cloud shot another bolt of lightning but missed. His target cleverly maneuvered out of the way.

Cloud gasped for breath, feeling a pain in his chest. Every time he tried to take in air his lungs felt like they had been pierced with one hundred needles. He grasped at his chest while driving the bike with his other hand. "Not again…" he muttered, and then suddenly his head began to hurt. "I'm…not going to make it…"

The two remaining ships had made a formation, which put them close to one another. They were directly in front of Cloud, moving backwards as they shot at him. He moved the motorbike in zigzag forms in order to avoid the blasts, but it was becoming more and more difficult as the pilots of the ships observed the way he drove the motorcycle. Cloud then decided to end the chase by using their battle formation to his advantage. The ships were close together, and he would knock out two birds with one stone. Cloud shot another bolt of lightning, which hit one ship and caused it to crash into the other. Both ships crashed into a cliff-side with a large and deafening explosion.

Feeling weary and weak from all the energy he had expended throughout the day, Cloud moved the motorcycle from off of the dirt road and onto a large two-lane road paved with black cement. The environment around him became greener, and trees actually started to appear. After about twenty minutes of traveling, the road led up to a small mountain, which eventually overlooked a large building sitting on the mountainside, decorated with trees and a waterfall that ran under it. He was no longer in the Midgarian region or it's wasteland.

A large sign on the curb read, "Healin Lodge: _Geostigma Sanitorium in love of silence._" Under the title read three more locations with arrows pointing in which direction they were located, one of the locations being Midgar, and the other two being Kalm and a place titled Chocobo Ranch. Cloud quickly sped off down the road in direction of the large building, eager to get his meeting with Rufus Shinra over with.

* * *

He stared out of the window, standing alone in the clean lobby. Warm sunlight seeped through the blinds of the window as a television set demonstrated the news in the corner of the room.

"_This is live footage of the current situation just outside of Midgar,"_ blared the television as his back faced it, not interested in watching it. _"It appears that the giant spaceship has taken off into the air. Perhaps they are leaving for good, but apparently, the sounds of gunfire just outside the city have proved otherwise. The Shin-Ra troops still seem to be trying to defend the people of Midgar from the extra-terrestrial invaders…"_

Reno was a lean, thin man, with flaming red hair. Though disheveled, most of it was tied back in a long ponytail while the rest hung over a pair of goggles perched on top of his head. He stared out of the window with his hands in his pockets, observing the outside world with bright aquamarine eyes. The navy blue suit he wore was not nearly as neat as his comrades would have wanted him to wear it, but he could care less. He preferred to wear his uniform in his own un-professional way, for it matched his personality. With his blue jacket open and the white cotton shirt hanging out from under it, he would not have preferred it any other way.

His bored looking face then changed into a quaint smirk as he heard the sound of an approaching engine. He stared through the window as he witnessed a blond young man drive up to building in a sleek black motorbike. Reno looked down at the ground, keeping his hands in his pockets as well as the smirk on his face, and within a few minutes one of the two doors in the room opened up.

Reno turned away from the window to face the blond man who had just entered. "Well if it isn't Cloud Strife! How're you doing buddy?"

Cloud frowned. "Cut the crap Turk. We've never been friends and I'd like to keep it that way."

Reno shrugged with a mock look of hurt on his face. "Well, nice to see that someone around here hasn't changed much. What've you been up to these past two years other than delivering stuff anyway?"

Cloud looked away from him, his blue eyes narrowing. "None of your damn business. Now what does your boss want that's so urgent?"

Reno clapped both of his hands together. "Now there's the true makings of someone from SOLDIER! Always down to business!" He walked away from him towards the other door and held it open for him. "This way please."

Cloud silently walked through the door and entered a darkened room where barely any sunlight entered through the window. At the far end of the room opposite of where Cloud and Reno stood was a wheelchair occupied by a figure garbed in a white cloak, almost all of the figure's features obscured by it. Next to the wheelchair stood a tall man with no hair wearing sunglasses and the same navy suit Reno wore except his was much more hygienically kept than that of his red haired counterpart. The tall bald man stood silent with his arms folded across his chest with an air of contempt about him.

"Cloud Strife…" murmured the figure in the wheelchair with a deep male voice. "I trust your journey here was without trouble."

Cloud shook his head. "Not exactly."

"Is that so," replied the man in the wheelchair. "I am sorry then."

Cloud crossed his arms and glared at the figure. "Since when were you ever sorry for anything that involved AVALANCHE, Rufus?"

The figure in the wheelchair, which had been addressed as Rufus answered, "Well as you can see, I am not exactly in prime condition to worry about chasing your band of renegade rebels about the planet. Shin-Ra Inc. has more important matters to attend to. Our goal is the restoration of the world, Cloud."

"What do you want?" Cloud asked, his eyes never moving from their narrowed expression.

"I am in need of your services."

Cloud shook his head and automatically replied, "Not interested."

The cloaked Rufus continued to speak, as if he had ignored Cloud's statement. "We've already initiated an investigation of Sephiroth's wake. So far we have come up with close to nothing. However, not long ago three young men bearing very similar appearances to Sephiroth appeared, asking me about their mother." At this, Cloud's eyes flashed with recognition and surprise. "You've seen them haven't you? Those boys are looking for their mother, and I'm afraid they're up to more than just that. What exactly, I still am not sure, but they seem willing to do almost anything to find her."

Cloud looked at the ground, saying through clenched teeth, "So what do you need me for?"

"I want to hire you for your services as a bodyguard," Rufus replied. "The three men may pose a potential threat to Shin-Ra Inc. as well as ruin all of the restoration we've accomplished. I also have a feeling that they are somehow connected to the Geostigma disease that's ravished the Planet."

"Thanks, but no thanks," Cloud said, turning away from Rufus and the tall bodyguard next to him. "I think your Turks can handle the job just fine. Besides, shouldn't you be worrying about the army that's invaded the planet?"

"General Naomi Posada is in charge of defending Midgar against the invaders; another reason why I wanted to hire you." Cloud's eyebrows furrowed, the name Rufus mentioned sounding oddly familiar to him. Not thinking on it any longer, Cloud walked back to the door placing his hand on the doorknob just as Rufus spoke again. "Cloud look. You're an ex-SOLDIER, aren't you?"

Cloud shook his head, muttering, "Yeah. _In my head_." He turned away from Rufus Shinra again and opened the door, beginning to step out.

"I heard you were living with the orphans," Rufus said, causing Cloud to stop dead in his tracks. "Wouldn't you want to put the smiles back on their faces?"

Cloud stood still for several moments and then turned back to him, his expression hesitant and sad. "But I…"

"Come on Cloud," Reno pressed, "Together we can rebuild Shin-Ra."

With an angry glare, Cloud pushed Reno out of the way and left the room, repeating, "Not interested."

Now standing in the middle of the lobby, Cloud held his mobile phone to his ear, waiting for Tifa to pick up. It kept ringing and Cloud could only tap his foot in impatience. Just as Reno quietly entered the room, Cloud hung up, scowling. "She's not answering her cell. Something's happened."

Reno shrugged. "I'm sure she's fine. The girl is more than capable of taking care of herself. Call the Kalm Inn if you have to."

Cloud shook his head. "Already did. They said she didn't check in. I don't think she's made it out of Edge yet. What if something's happened?"

Reno stepped forward a bit. "According to our reports, our troops are still trying to hold off that alien army back. She's probably stuck in traffic or something."

"No," Cloud replied. "Something's happened. I know it. I have to go to her." He looked to Reno with urgency in his deep cerulean glowing eyes.

Reno nodded. "Alright then. Take care of yourself Strife. Those guys aren't to be messed with."

"I know," said Cloud. "I've already felt my fair share of their methods of negotiation. That's why I have to go. I can't let Tifa fall into their hands."

"Of course." Cloud turned around and began to walk away when Reno called to him again. "Hey Strife." Cloud looked back at him. "You still have that box I told Tifa to give you?"

"Yeah," Cloud responded. "What about it?"

Reno's usually carefree expression turned to one of all out seriousness. "Don't let the silver haired guys get to it."

"Why? What's in there?"

Reno smirked and held up a hand. "That's top-secret Shin-Ra information. Don't try opening it either, it might be potentially dangerous."

Cloud crossed his arms with a frown. "I thought you told Tifa it wasn't that important."

Reno chuckled. "If I told her otherwise she would've started asking questions, and I really don't need that right now from her. Just keep the box away from those guys at all costs, alright?"

"Fine," said Cloud in a stoic tone. "See you later." He left the room, leaving Reno by himself. Soon enough, the bald man that was guarding Rufus entered, standing next to Reno silently.

"You know what Rude?" Reno asked without looking at him. "That guy never changes. You'd think that after two years he would've at least stopped being such a stiff little spiky prick."


	7. Enter Moff Tarkin

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. The only characters that I can claim are General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and any other original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Six: Enter Moff Tarkin**

Green eyes opened lazily to the sounds of marching footsteps and the commands of a deep, almost baritone voice. The jade colored eyes widened in surprise as their owner had realized that she was moving, no, dragging, across the smooth ground. Isis Avonej looked up, feeling hands clenched tightly around both her arms. Seeing her two white armored captors filled her with immediate rage as she was reminded of the recent events she had experienced.

"Lord Vader," called out a voice close to her, which interrupted her plans to set punishment out on those who had wronged her. The two soldiers carrying her stopped, leaving her to stare momentarily at a metal door sliding closed.

"What is the prisoner's condition?" spoke the baritone voice she did not hear as clearly before.

"Normal," answered one of the men carrying her. Isis clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes, readying herself to attack, until a shroud of ebony obscured her vision, once again ruining her plans. The shroud moved and she realized it was actually a cape. First staring at booted feet, Isis looked up at a masked figure that only stood, breathing mechanically in response.

Darth Vader stared down at the girl, examining her features. She fit almost the exact same description his master had given him. A pale complexion with silver hair and green eyes. He could feel the Force coming off of her in angry waves, powerful enough to prove dangerous if she released it. Yet, she was young, at least half the age he was given of the man the Emperor was in search for.

"What do you want?" she demanded, glaring at him. She pulled against the grip of the stormtroopers holding her, but it proved to be of no use.

"Your name," Vader replied flatly. She frowned and looked away from him.

"I don't have to tell you people a damn thing," she hissed. Vader walked around her, and although it was at a slow pace, she seemed to have sensed something out of place, for her disposition became very hesitant.

"It would be in your best interest to cooperate," said Vader, searching through the jumble of thoughts in her mind for a brief moment. As he had expected, her mind had guards, for her expression changed then and her most imperative thoughts were immediately hidden.

"Or what?" she challenged. Though her words were backed by stubborn certainty, Vader sensed her recklessness and also her worry for something she had not, and probably did not plan on mentioning.

"You will find that the Empire has effective methods of persuasion," Vader replied, looking over to the front of the room. The room appeared to be some kind of command center for the entire ship. It had large windows, which allowed Isis to gaze in amazement into the depths of outer space itself. Just the fact alone that she was staring down at a beautiful blue and green planet was enough to momentarily rid her mind of all her worries.

Vader was speaking again, which caused her to tear her eyes away from the planet. "The _Devastator_ can easily bombard your world upon my command."

Isis stared at him in disbelief. "You wouldn't do that just for a name."

Vader held up a hand towards a standing Imperial officer. "Captain, on my mark, begin planetary bombardment. Focus all fire power on the city-,"

"It's Isis!" she shouted, which caused the captain to stop and Vader to turn back to her. Her shoulders falling she said, "Isis Ultima Avonej."

"Avonej," Vader repeated. The name was not familiar to him and did not seem to have any apparent relation to the one his master was searching for.

"The guy in Southern Edge said you were all looking for Sephiroth," said Isis. "I'm _not_ related to him."

"Unless there are many of your kind with gray hair at such a young age, I find that highly doubtful."

Isis scowled, apparently finding his remark about having her hair color at her age offensive. "For your information, I have no relatives at all. Not for as long as I can remember. I've been an orphan since birth, and if I am related to that psychopath, then I think someone would've showed me proof by now."

There was an awkward silence between them, and Isis listened to the sounds of people working, almost wishing she hadn't spoken at all, for a reason unknown to her. Vader's mechanical breathing continued, and it unnerved her so much that she had to shift slightly every few seconds.

"Very well," he finally spoke, turning to her and the stormtroopers holding her. "Accompany young Isis to a cell and then continue your search for Cloud Strife."

"Yes, sir," both acknowledged at once. Isis wanted to struggle, she wanted to fight, but as the soldiers picked her up and began to drag her off, a chilling sensation crept up her spine, causing her to shiver. She didn't know whether it was because Vader had somehow caused it, or even if the ventilation system of the ship was malfunctioning, but _something_ told her to wait, and to be patient. Her time would come.

When they shoved her in the cell, Isis sat on hard bench, sighing. She did not want to wait. She wanted nothing more than to break out and fight back for the wrongs that were done to her. With a gasp she realized that her weapons and materia were missing. She grasped at the thin metal chain around her neck, sighing in relief that it was still there.

Yes, she would wait for once. Her time to escape would come.

* * *

Vader stared through the clear transparisteel, listening to his own breathing. Below him, the planet glowed a bright cerulean color. It was a very small planet, compared to the others he had been to. Under his mask he frowned, clearly able to sense a decrease in the living Force just from the planet itself. Whether Strife was truthful in his explanation or not, it was clearly evident that the humans of the planet had done enough to cause the world to actually begin to die. 

He heard an officer approach, stopping behind him and obviously nervous. "Lord Vader…?" Vader's silence intimidated the man, but he decided to try again. "A shuttle has arrived with Grand Moff Tarkin."

Vader's breathing grew louder, though he did not visibly express his anger. Tarkin!? When had he been assigned to this planet? Vader was originally sent to deal with the Emperor's wish personally, and he would have preferred it to remain that way until his mission was complete. Afterwards, he would care little for what the Empire wished to do with the world, but to bring a moff in now before the Empire barely even began to invade was outrageous!

Darth Vader strode past the officer, his ebony cape flowing behind him in a curtain of darkness. He left the bridge of the _Devastator_ and it did not take him long to reach the main hangar bay, where a small white shuttle with folded wings sat. A ramp set down on the tile and an aged thin man in a gray Imperial uniform walked down, his piercing blue eyes examining every detail of the _Devastator_'s hangar with close scrutiny, as if looking for something to be out of place.

The man approached Vader, seemingly unafraid of the Dark Lord's presence. Looking around, he greeted Vader with a nod that neglected emotion. "Lord Vader. I trust that your expeditions here in the Unknown Regions have been eventful."

Despite his anger, Vader kept his tone calm. "Eventful, yes. I was not informed that you were arriving Grand Moff."

The Grand Moff began to walk away from the shuttle, his face neutral. "The Emperor has assigned me as acting governor of this backwater world for the time being."

"We have not taken control of the planet yet, Grand Moff Tarkin."

"Ah, but knowing well of the excellence that this _Imperial_-class Star Destroyer's crew has shown in the past, I doubt that this province will remain out of Imperial control for long," Tarkin replied, a hint of amusement on his face. "I was also informed, Lord Vader, that the level of civilization on this planet is very primitive. I am very surprised that the planet is not under complete control already."

Vader fumed, resentful over Tarkin practically insulting his Star Destroyer. Sternly, he replied, "Imperial order on this planet is not my concern, Moff Tarkin. I am here to-,"

"Yes," Tarkin said, cutting him off as they continued to walk through the white hallways, "the silver haired fellow that has piqued the Emperor's interest. That is why I am here, old friend: to aid you in the search, and to dispose of any obstacles that may hinder your strategies. Uncivilized heathens may very well be those obstacles."

Vader stopped in front of a door, which opened and revealed a conference room. "They are not as uncivilized as you may think. I have already encountered many who are adept in the Force."

Tarkin entered the room, sat down at the head of the conference table, looking up at Vader with interest. "The Force, you say? How so? Did this planet somehow obtain influence from the extinct Jedi?"

Vader walked around the table to stand near the Grand Moff. "Unlikely. A good portion of the world's military is able to manifest a physical form of the Force in battle, using jewels."

The Grand Moff raised an eyebrow. "Jewels?" He did not seem convinced.

"Whether or not these gems are natural resources or artificial, those using them have enough potential to cause a considerable amount of damage."

Grand Moff Tarkin crossed his fingers and set them under his chin in thought. "So, other than that, how is your search faring, Lord Vader?"

Vader placed his gloved hand on his belt. "We have captured a young girl who bears his appearance. She claims she knows nothing of him or of any relations to him."

"Hmm…" said Tarkin, closing his eyes in thought, but then stood up from the table, his mind made up. "Then I shall speak to her myself. For all we know, she could be lying."

Suppressing a growl that would not have been expressed through his vocabulator regardless, Vader led Tarkin out of the room and back to the Imperial shuttle that the Grand Moff had arrived in. Once the two were transported to the nearby Imperial frigate and had arrived at the small prisoner detainment area, Lieutenant Karn approached Vader fearfully, having just received help from being trapped inside the cell.

"Lord Vader," he said, nearly stammering.

"Am I right to assume that you are the one responsible for Cloud Strife's escape?"

Karn's eyes shifted. "Well, sir, he-,"

"Yes or no, Lieutenant," said Vader, and Karn reached for this throat, feeling it tighten painfully.

Tarkin shook his head, but he still did not look in the least bit concerned. "Now, now Vader, I think the young officer has something to say."

Vader loosed the Force grip on Karn's throat, and the Lieutenant gasped, "…yes!" This prompted Vader to tighten the hold again and continue to choke the life out of Karn through means of the Force until the officer's eyes closed and his body went limp. Vader walked past him, letting the lifeless body fall to the floor.

As several individuals entered to clean up and dispose of the body, Vader and Tarkin continued on their way, entering through very narrow hallways with cell doors on each side. Vader noted the gaping hole through one of the doors, whose edges still let off smoke. The scent of ozone lingered in the air. Tarkin stopped in front of the damaged door.

"None of the weapons the stormtroopers hold cause damage such as this without destroying the rest of the level," said Tarkin, staring gravely through the hole. For the first time since he had arrived, Tarkin actually looked concerned.

"Strife had those gems then," Vader concluded. Tarkin quickly looked at him, his blue eyes piercing.

"We should extend Imperial control over the entire planet; outlaw the use of these gems to prevent any kind of rebellion. Of course, we would have to topple the world's current government first."

"Leave that to me," said Vader without a moment's worth of hesitation. Stopping in front of another cell, Vader opened it and entered with Tarkin behind him. Inside lay Isis on the bench, staring at the ceiling and not looking at them even as they entered.

"I'm hungry," she stated before either of them spoke. Tarkin glanced at Vader, and then stepped up to her, his hands behind his back.

"Your name, young lady?" Tarkin inquired.

Isis sat up, staring at him incredulously. "You're gonna start up with that again?" Rolling her eyes she replied, "Well, I might as well tell you before you try to blow up Edge again. Isis Avonej. There, happy?"

Tarkin frowned. The girl's attitude was little more than irritating. He then eyed the chain dangling around her neck, whose end held a small green orb. He looked to the figure behind him. "Vader?"

Vader reached out with a gloved hand, and Isis suddenly felt her chain pulling at her neck towards Vader. Isis grabbed the chain, trying to keep it from flying off, but only in vain. A link in the chain broke and it flew quickly into Vader's palm.

Isis stood up exclaiming, "Hey! Give it back, that's mine!"

Vader examined the green orb in his palm. It did not glow like the others he had seen, but he could still sense the power from within it. Ignoring Isis' exclamations, he was trying to interpret the gem's function.

Tarkin shook his head at Isis who was still yelling. "So you were planning on using it to escape. Well, now you will be given no such chance."

Isis stopped. "Escape? How!? It doesn't do anything!"

Tarkin frowned at her for the second time. "Do not take us for fools, girl. We already know of the purpose of your gems."

"It doesn't do anything!" Isis repeated. "Give it back!"

Tarkin stepped up, glowering down at her. "You are in no position to be giving any orders."

Isis glared back at him, her green eyes glowing fiercely. "I don't care. I want my chain back."

"Why, so you can escape?"

She let out a quick exasperated sigh. "How could I escape, if that materia doesn't do anything!? I swear to you, it doesn't do a damn thing! I've had it for all my life and I still haven't been able to figure out what it does!"

Crossing his arms, Tarkin asked, "Then if it is so worthless, then why are you so anxious to get it back?"

"Because I've had it all my life, and it's mine," Isis answered.

Tarkin shook his head. "Lord Vader, perhaps she would be a lot more cooperative with this interrogation if we brought in a mind probe."

Isis' silver eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "A what?"

Vader clenched his fist over Isis' silver chain and waved his other hand dismissively in Tarkin's direction. "No need. She is not lying."

Isis smirked at Tarkin, her arms crossed. "See, told you so." Then her eyes lit up hopefully at Vader. "So can I have it back?"

"No," Vader responded immediately, causing Isis to frown sadly and look at the floor. A stormtrooper entered, saluting.

"Lord Vader," he said through the white mask. "The Emperor has made contact and wishes to speak with you immediately."

"Very well," said Vader, gracefully turning around, his cape flowing as he left the cell.

"Great," Isis muttered under her breath as she sat back down on the hard bench. "Now I'm stuck with the walking corpse from under the grave."

Tarkin narrowed his eyes, glaring dangerously at her. "Your snide remarks will come to an end soon enough and you will learn to respect the Galactic Empire. It would be in your best interest to cooperate, unless of course you want certain close individuals to meet inconvenient catastrophes."

Isis scoffed. "Close individuals? What close individuals? You people wouldn't have any idea who I'm close to, so stop bluffing already."

"Don't be too sure," Tarkin said, glancing back for a moment at the stormtrooper who remained for protection. "Once the Empire has taken control of the planet, it will not take very long for our elite intelligence operations to gather any information we wished."

"Whatever," she replied. "I don't even see what the big deal is and why you're even keeping me here. I don't know anything. If you really want to find Sephiroth, why don't you try the Shin-Ra already? I don't even know the guy. I just know he was a psycho who tried to destroy the planet and killed a lot of people."

"Destroy the planet?" Tarkin inquired. "How so?"

"From what I've heard," Isis explained, "he's the one who created Meteor and destroyed most of Midgar, but somehow Meteor was destroyed and Sephiroth was killed. No one is really sure who killed him or how, but he's definitely dead. So there's really no reason for you guys to be here if he's the one you're looking for."

Tarkin rubbed his chin in thought. "I see." After a moment he declared, "Well, perhaps if you behave and cooperate you will find yourself released sooner than you expected." Tarkin turned and left, the stormtrooper following him. Isis stood up and ran after them, stopping just as the door slid closed in front of her.

"But I'm still hungry!"


	8. The Ill Fated President

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. The only characters that I can claim are General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and any other original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Seven: The Ill-Fated President**

Darth Vader kneeled before the yellow-eyed hologram, "What is thy bidding, my master?"

The severely wrinkled and scarred face of the hologram moved slightly as the sulfurous eyes of Emperor Palpatine blinked. "I have sent Grand Moff Tarkin to your flagship. He will aid you in your search as well as set Imperial control over that planet."

"Yes, my master," Vader replied, keeping his tone as neutral as possible. "He has already arrived." He paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Why, Master, do you feel that his assistance is necessary?"

Emperor Palpatine's shimmering hologram smirked, revealing decayed and damaged teeth. "Ah, I can sense your distrust for the Grand Moff. Do not trouble yourself over this matter, my friend. If Tarkin's intentions are indeed traitorous, then he will be dealt with soon enough, but he is not a threat right now, for he is totally ignorant to the great power that can be found on that planet."

"Yes, Master," said Vader.

"Have you discovered anything new, Lord Vader?" Palpatine inquired.

"I have encountered a child, a Force adept with silver hair as you had described. She claims that she knows nothing of the one the Force has shown to you, and I can sense that she not lying."

With a nod, Emperor Palpatine said unsurprised, "Yes, I have foreseen a meeting with her in which you will be bringing her before me." A pause, then, "Ah, the child has a chain with an orb attached. Did you obtain it?"

Vader held out a fist, palm-side up and opened it, revealing the said chain. "She does not know how to release it's powers, but this is one of the many jewels she calls 'materia.' It is used by many, especially by the world's military. It allows the user to release a physical manifestation of the Force."

"Extraordinary," the Emperor replied, pleased. Then he commanded, "Once you have found the site where all of the energies of the Force are gathered, you will take her there. The child will lead you to the one we are searching for."

"She knows nothing of him," Vader objected. "How will she be able to find him?"

"She will find him," Palpatine reassured. "I have foreseen it."

* * *

The television blared throughout the small house, depicting a panicked news reporter in the middle of what seemed to be a riot in the streets of Edge. A woman stood in the kitchen of the house, simultaneously washing dishes with her head craned towards the living room to watch the news report. Her honey brown eyes widened as the news reporter was suddenly trampled by a mob of Midgarians who were desperate to leave the city.

"How terrible…" she breathed, not even realizing that the water was still running over her hands. "I sure hope Tifa and the others are alright…"

"Shera!"

The woman looked to where the shout came from and then shut the water off to the kitchen sink. Drying her hands, she smoothed the brown hair in her messy ponytail and then fixed the round-rimmed glasses on her face.

"Shera!!" bellowed out the rough voice from the back of the house. "Get your ass out here!"

She sighed, shaking her head. "Coming, Cid!" Shera rushed to the back of the house, the tails of her white lab coat flapping behind her. She reached the backyard of the house, which looked upon a vast green plain, dotted with hills. A snowy mountain range surrounded the region, the physical barrier between the Nibel region and Rocket Town.

A black-painted plane sat in the middle of the backyard, with bright blue letters painted in cursive, '_Tiny Bronco II_,' on the hull. Shera stared in awe, knowing how much the machine had been modified to become more than just the seaplane it used to be.

A strong arm wrapped around her shoulder, and Shera jumped slightly, not expecting it. A blond haired man with a rugged face pulled a cigarette butt out of his mouth and threw it aside.

"Whad'ya think?" he asked, waving an arm towards the plane. "Spent this whole year fixin' her up, and now I'm finally done with the paint job."

"It's wonderful, Cid," Shera complimented, looking up at him and smiling. Cid continued to stare at the plane, scratching his chin with his other hand.

"Yeah, but there's still some things she's missin'. I already installed the new engines, so she's a fighter jet now. The guys at Fort Condor are gonna donate me some guns in exchange for the plans and schematics so that they can build some more like her."

Shera's eyes widened in worry as she looked at him. "Oh, Cid. I'm still not sure you should go over there. I've been watching the news and-,"

Cid broke away from her, shouting angrily. "How many times have I told ya not to watch that shit anymore? That crap will make your brain sick and then you'll be even more paranoid than you already are!"

"But Cid," she protested, "there are riots in Edge. Everyone's trying to leave the city and Tifa is there! What if something's happened?"

"I know," Cid replied quietly. He embraced Shera who leaned her head against his chest. "That's why I'm going with the pilots from Fort Condor to settle this mess. No way we can trust the Shin-Ra to handle things."

"It's kind of hard to believe they came from space, huh?" Shera asked, looking up at his face with her arms around his body. "Maybe when this is all over you can do what you always wanted."

Cid's eyes held a faraway distant look. "It almost seems too good to be true. It always is. I was only in outer space for what, half an hour? Every chance I get is always for nothin'. Now we've got damn aliens trying to blow us to pieces before I even get to try again."

"Don't you give up on it yet, Highwind," Shera warned. "I have a sure feeling that this time you'll get your chance."

"You're right," he admitted. "You're always right, damn it." Then he jokingly added, "And this time you're _not_ checkin' the oxygen tanks."

* * *

It was thundering outside. According to the news broadcast, it was also storming in Midgar, pouring acid rain in its wake. Rufus Shinra watched the broadcast as the situation in Edge grew steadily worse.

A door opened behind him and he heard the frustrated voice of a young woman apologizing. "I'm sorry, sir. I told him you couldn't see anyone right now and he wouldn't have it. He says he needs to see you right away; something about his mother. Do I have permission to use force to send him off?"

Rufus lifted a hand to weakly wave her off. "It's fine, Elena. You may admit him. Have Rude and Reno stand guard at the door. I believe I gave you other instructions."

Behind him, Elena bowed and left the room. The thundering stopped, leaving the yellow-orange light of the sun to streak through the window blinds of the darkened room. Rufus shut off the TV and turned his wheelchair to face the young man entering the room.

Silver hair fell past the young man's eyes, touching the base of his neck. His right eye was obscured entirely by his hair, leaving a green glowing left eye to stare arrogantly at the President of Shin-Ra Electric Power Company. He wore all black leather, as well as a sheathed sword at his backside.

"Kadaj," Rufus called. "I wasn't expecting you."

The silver haired youth in question smirked, walking across the room with his booted feet clacking against the tile. He kneeled dramatically and held Rufus' idle hand gently. In a mocking tone he addressed, "Your _Royal Highness_! It is a pleasure to be in your honorable and majestic presence once again."

Under the shadows of this white hood, Rufus frowned. _Where is that damned Strife when I actually need him?_ Yes, he had his Turk bodyguards at the door who were waiting for a moment of danger to arise, but Rufus knew without a doubt that it was only Cloud Strife who could truly rid him of these silver-haired abominations of Shin-Ra Inc.'s past.

"What do you want, Kadaj?" Rufus asked coldly.

Kadaj, the silver-haired youth, looked up at Rufus' shrouded form from his kneeled position on the ground, smirking maliciously. Rufus drew in a sharp but quiet intake of breath, for he had seen that look of immorality before – on the face of another man. The yellow-orange streaks of the sun flooded through the blinds of the window, making it seem as if Kadaj's surroundings had been set aflame.

Kadaj answered simply, "My Mother."

"You're told me this before," Rufus reminded him. "I've told you all that I know."

Kadaj stood up and headed to the far side of the room, not facing Rufus as he declared, "Boy, do I hate liars… We need Mother's power. The Reunion is coming," turning around and narrowing his eyes he added, "and we need her."

"Reunion?" Rufus responded, hiding whatever concern he felt with mild interest.

Kadaj snarled and looked away. "Our Brothers and Sisters who share Mother's cells will assemble, and together we'll take revenge on the planet! We've already sent out the invitations, but…you know, someone's hidden the guest of honor."

"Invitations?" Rufus asked.

Kadaj looked back at the cloaked president. "The 'Stigma?" he replied with a sneer as he glanced at Rufus' hand upon the arm of the wheelchair. The creamy skin was polluted with oozing black blemishes. "But you know all about that, don't you?"

"Mother's eternal legacy lives on in the Lifestream and makes it happen," Kadaj continued, turning away with a look of grief in his eyes. "She does _so much_ for us, and…we don't even know where to find her!" Rufus' hand twitched. "But what can we do? We're just remnants, merely remnants of Mother's legacy. Until we find her and receive her cells, we can't be whole again!"

Rufus' mouth tightened into a thin line and he swallowed deeply. "I see. Well, I wish you luck then. You're going to need it with that invading army."

Kadaj was at the door, his back facing Rufus when he began to laugh maniacally. The way he stared up at the ceiling and how his shoulders rose up and down as he laughed sent chills down the Shin-Ra President's spine. "Don't you worry. Mother will cleanse their souls as well. Whatever powers and technology they have brought from across the cosmos will not save them against Mother's will."

Rufus remained silent at this. Kadaj opened the door and began to walk out, waving behind him.

"Until we meet again, I will continue to pray to the Ancients for your health." Rufus ignored the mocking way Kadaj had said this. Once Kadaj was gone, Reno and Rude immediately ran inside.

"Boss!" Reno exclaimed, noticing that the Shin-Ra President had suddenly clutched at his chest with a pale hand and was breathing heavily. "You all right? Did that bastard do something to you?"

_Possibly,_ Rufus thought as he struggled to keep his heart from failing him. _I know he does something every time we see him. How ironic it was that just when he wished for my health, my condition suddenly became unstable._

"Boss? Rude, get a doctor over here!"

Rufus held up a trembling hand. "No, it's fine Reno." He was breathing normally once again. "He is gone."

Reno glared angrily at the window just as a trio of motorcycle engines was heard speeding down the road, away from Healin Lodge. He gripped his weapon, a steel rod, in his hands tightly, his aquamarine eyes narrowing. "I don't like him, or his sick brothers. Why should we have to deal with these Sephiroth-wannabes anyway?"

Rufus coughed harshly and asked, "Has General Posada given you her status report yet?"

Reno nodded. "Naomi's going through some tough crap out there. Just as she was fighting those alien guys, a bunch of monsters started attacking! She says she's never seen them before, but she thinks they might've been bred in a Mako reactor somewhere."

If Rufus could have risen from his wheelchair, he would have. "What!? That's impossible! All the Mako reactors have been shut down! I saw to that personally!"

"That's what I said," Reno replied, "but she says that they kinda resemble the monsters that were found in Mako Reactor No.1 seven years ago."

"I want the Nibelheim Mako reactor investigated immediately, do you understand me? I also want the other-," his commands were suddenly interrupted by a high pitched whirring above them, louder than any engine they had heard before. Reno ran to the window, only to see three strange ships in the shapes of round spheres with hexagonal disks on the sides land in the driveway.

"Boss!" Reno shouted. "It's them! The aliens!"

Rude stepped towards Rufus, peering at him through dark sunglasses. In the most serious tone he said, "Mr. President, it is imperative that we evacuate immediately."

Rufus sat still. "How did they find out about this location? Surely they aren't here to see someone else."

Reno peered carefully through the blinds, watching the situation. "We've been getting rumors that confidential information's been leaked because the aliens keep driving it out of our employees. Some they they're tortured until they talk."

"Fear…" Rufus murmured, knowing the tactic all too well.

"Mr. President," Rude tried again. "We should leave now."

"It's almost amusing," Rufus said casually. "If they had come here two years ago, we might have been great allies. Alas, the past comes back to haunt me."

"Not if we get out of here!" Reno objected. "Let's get out while we can! There's a emergency helicopter waiting in the ba-," but it was too late.

Deafening blasts shook the building and frightened screams erupted throughout Healin Lodge. Rude pulled out a pistol from inside his jacket and stood in front of Rufus, guarding him with his tall form. Reno did the same, only igniting the rod in his hands so that violent sparks emitted from it.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Reno admitted.

"Let them come," Rufus said. "The time of the Shinra has passed. Planet's death is inevitable at his point, I realize that now. Even if Strife and AVALANCHE stop Kadaj, there are still those invaders to contend with…or perhaps Kadaj is wrong? What if the invaders _do_ have the power to destroy Jenova?"

"Boss, don't talk like that!" Reno scolded. "We're gonna kick their asses, and we're gonna get you out of here."

"…I would actually like to meet the leader of these extra-terrestrials," Rufus replied, completely ignoring Reno.

Precise marching and loud, echoed breathing filled their ears and silenced the three of them immediately. The wooden door broke down, and then entered three strangers to Rufus and his Turks. The leader of the three was Vader, and two troopers dressed in black pilot's armor flanked him. They appeared as masked monstrosities to Reno, and he did not know whether to attack or to stay frozen in his place.

Darth Vader stood in the middle of the room, his hands on his hips as he surveyed the area. In a booming voice he inquired, "Where is the one they call Shinra?"

Reno raised his electro-rod. "Who wants to know?"

"The Galactic Empire," Vader answered.

"Well the Boss isn't in now," Reno retorted with a cocky smirk on his face, "but you can leave a message with his secretary if you like and she'll be happy to set up an appointment."

Vader raised a hand towards Reno and the two Turks prepared to attack, but Rufus shouted from behind them, "Reno! Rude! That is enough!"

Reno and Rude lowered their weapons and hesitantly stepped aside as Rufus rolled the wheelchair forward a few feet. "Greetings. I am Rufus Shinra, President of the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company. I suppose it is a bit late to welcome you properly, and for that I apologize."

Vader could not help but be reminded of the Emperor as he looked upon the white-robed and hooded frailty sitting in the chair. There was an air about him that screamed death, Vader could sense it. There was something eating away at Shinra's life.

"Apologies of any kind are not necessary," Vader responded. "We have come to set Imperial control over this system. Any and all attempts at further resistance from your side is foolish. Accept your unconditional surrender."

Rufus raised a weak and trembling hand, not so much from the fear, but rather the nerves that his condition put on his body. "All in due time. I am interested in meeting your leader. Perhaps the proper negotiations can be set. There are resources both of our sides can use from one another. We have weapons that you may be interested in and you have the technology that may rid the Geostigma disease from my people. What say you?"

Vader crossed his arms over his chest. "The Emperor is not interested in any negotiations or truces. You _will_ surrender complete control to the Empire."

Rufus shook his covered head. "I'm afraid I cannot do that. I _must_ meet your Emperor."

Vader raised a hand towards Rufus and clenched his fingers together. Rufus gasped and began to convulse slightly. Immediately, Reno and Rude raised their weapons, as did the pilots behind Vader.

"What are you doing to him?!" Reno shouted. "Let him go!"

Quite suddenly, Reno and Rude found themselves unable to move. As quick as they had been to defend their President was just the same speed in which the Turks found themselves as heaps on the floor, unconscious by means of some invisible force.

Vader stared up as he used his power to levitate the helpless and choking Rufus from the chair. "As you can see, President Shinra, the proper negotiations _have_ been set."

Just as Vader dropped Rufus' body, two gunshots rang out, disposing of the pilots behind Vader. Vader quickly turned to see a young blond woman, dressed in the same uniform as both Reno and Rude, pointing a pistol at the Sith Lord.

"Don't you make another move!" she ordered. "You are under arrest for assault against President Shinra and two Turks officers!"

Reno groaned from the floor and looked up. "Elena?"

Vader gestured to the white-garbed body on the floor. "Your Shinra is dead. You have the option of surviving by aiding the Galactic Empire henceforth."

Elena shook her head. "No! You're going to pay for what you've done!" The moment she moved her finger to touch the trigger, the gun flew from out of her grasp and into Vader's hand. Whatever hope she had left soon turned into despair.

Reno groaned, "Elena! Get out of here!" The young blond only stood still, looking sadly at the body on the floor. Her bottom lip quivering, she stood straight and saluted Vader.

"The Turks are in your command," she nearly stammered.

Reno and Rude had found strength enough to stand up on one knee. Reno stared at her in disbelief. "Elena! What the hell are you doing!?"

Elena replied, "Look around, Reno. Shin-Ra is gone. The company fell the day WEAPON destroyed headquarters. Meteorfall destroyed everything, and Geostigma is taking out what's left. Either way, we're doomed, and there's nothing we can do about it, but as Turks we can still try to live and carry on the legacy."

Reno and Rude stood up, but neither of them looked pleased with Elena's actions or words. Without wasting any more time, Vader asked Elena, "Tell me everything about Shin-Ra's military."

Elena sighed and explained, "We have several branches. Army, air force, navy, and a special faction that only the most elite of troops are admitted in: SOLDIER. Once the elites enter SOLIDER, they are showered with small amounts Mako, which greatly enhance their physical and mental attributes, not only making them twice as strong as any normal person, but also enhancing their abilities with the use of materia. One such SOLDIER exceeded all of Shin-Ra's expectations: a man named Sephiroth."

Vader thought for a moment, his breathing being the only sound in the room. "This Sephiroth…did he have silver hair?"

Elena nodded. "Yes, but he's dead now, killed after he summoned Meteor in an attempt to destroy the planet."

"What?" Vader responded. "It was _he_ who brought the meteor? It was not a natural astronomical occurrence?"

"Hell no, it wasn't natural!" exclaimed Reno, which caused Vader to turn to him. "He used some kind of freaky Black Materia that he found in the Temple of the Ancients. He seemed to be the only one who was able to use it, and now no one knows where the Black Materia is."

"I see," Vader replied. "Very well. From here on out this planet belongs to the Empire. You three will act as informants concerning all of the aspects of the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company." Vader turned to leave, walking past the dead bodies of the pilots he brought with him. "You will receive your orders from the _Devastator_ once this building has been a made a command post."

"Command post!?" Elena exclaimed, outraged. "This is a hospital!"

Vader stopped but did not look at her. "It will serve as a med-center for the Empire's troops."

"And what about Geostigma?" Elena asked. "You bring those troops here and they're bound to catch it! There isn't a cure!"

Vader finally looked at the Turks. "The Empire will devise a cure for this ailment."

Elena did not look convinced. "Don't you think that after two years we would've already found one by now? There isn't any more of a cure for Geostigma than there is for...f-for your own condition!"

Vader glared threateningly at her, and although his expression was hidden under his mask, Elena seemed to have felt its effects, as she shrank back in fear.

"My condition is not of your concern," said Vader in a menacing tone of warning. "We will find a cure for the disease, and we will use that body," he pointed at Rufus' limp form, "as a test subject."

Elena could only stare appalled as Vader left the room, his mechanic breathing apparatus sounding further away with each step he took. Her eyes welling up with tears, she moved past Reno, who did not look pleased at all, and knelt down by Rufus' dead body.

"I can't believe this shit," Reno muttered. "Look what we've been reduced to. Legacy of the Turks, Elena? Just what are you smoking and where can I get some?! This isn't what the Turks are about! You're letting some guy with an asthma condition push us around!"

Elena completely ignored Reno as she turned Rufus's body over onto his back. Timidly, she pushed back his hood, only to flinch back in fright at what she saw. More than half of the President's flesh on his face had been eaten away by the combined forces of the injuries he had received and the further decay Geostigma had caused. The entire right side of his top and bottom lips had rotted away to the point of this jaws being entirely exposed. Other areas of this flesh had also been eaten away, leaving only a small trace of the handsome young man that he once was two years ago. He was barely recognizable.

Covering his face over with the white robe, the young female Turk then stood up and quickly left the room, sobbing quietly. Rude silently followed her out. When they left, Reno sighed very audibly and placed two fingers to the bridge of his nose.

"With all this shit going on…" Reno shook his head furiously. "Damn it, I'm gonna need some seriously hard liquor!"


	9. The Fort Condor Rebellion

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. The only characters that I can claim are General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and any other original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury **

**Chapter Eight: The Fort Condor Rebellion**

Cloud was tense as he navigated _Fenrir_ through Midgar's ruins. He decided to use one of the abandoned highways as a shortcut, for it was in extreme disrepair and the Midgarians trying to escape the city had no way of getting across the many gaps that spanned the highway. It had been an out of control frenzy down in the slums, hence the reason he was taking the risk with the damaged highways. The mobs below had attempted to take his motorcycle, seeing as it was a vehicle that could easily move through the endless lines of traffic.

He accelerated and jumped an approaching gap that was over a meter or so long. He had to do this several times, but he preferred to deal with the obstacles rather than the hundreds of desperate people who were willing to kill for a way out of Midgar.

The eight sectors of Midgar passed by like blurs, and Cloud did not regard any of the buildings for less than a second. However, as he came across Sector 5, a certain archaic-styled church, damaged by age and by Meteor, and decorated with long dark green vines caught his attention. Cloud abruptly stopped the bike, gazing in concern at the old church. It was not his destination, Edge was, but something was out of place in the church. The single ray of sunlight fell upon the church as usual, but Cloud felt that there was something wrong, something terribly wrong.

"Tifa," he whispered. Somehow, he did not know how, he could _feel_ that Tifa was in danger. She was hurt, and the knowledge nearly froze Cloud's heart. A horrible dread gripping him, Cloud gunned the engine hard. The motorbike fell through the approaching gap in the highway and landed quite gracefully on the street below. He expertly moved through the remaining debris of Meteorfall until finally he reached the church. Quickly he chained the motorcycle up at its usual post and rushed inside.

Cloud's boots clacked hard against the wood floor. Warm sunlight streamed in through the various stain-glass windows. Many of the oak benches had been smashed since he had last visited. There, in the middle of the bed of flowers lay Tifa, unmoving. Cloud broke into a run, fearing the worst.

_No, no, no, no, no, no, no,_ was Cloud's unending mantra. He kneeled down in the flowers and gently picked up Tifa's limp body in his arms, supporting the back of her head with one hand. There was a pained expression on her face, her delicate features contorted in a way that made Cloud's stomach turn over in guilt.

Cloud's glowing cerulean eyes only emphasized the sadness written on his face. He brought Tifa closer to him, embracing her tightly as if afraid to let her go. His lips were close to her ear, lightly brushing them as he whispered, "Tifa. I couldn't save you. I couldn't save you, _again_!" He clenched his teeth angrily, and blamed himself over and over again for being too weak to protect her.

"You're…late." Cloud sat up, astonished as she murmured and opened her eyes slowly. With a sad smile she spoke again, "As usual." Quite suddenly she gasped in his arms, sitting up and exclaiming, "Marlene!" with her deep brown eyes opened wide. She fell back against Cloud and he held her again.

"Who did this?" Cloud asked. "Who was it?"

She spoke sullenly. "Someone I didn't know. He took Marlene and the other children." Tifa's eyes closed as she murmured, "Someone we didn't know…"

For a few moments Cloud watched Tifa as she slept, gazing at her parted lips in particular. The thought alone that he was not strong enough to save her made him light-headed. A shot of pain erupted in his chest, sending agonizing sensations throughout his body. Cloud clutched at his chest, groaning, but then his left arm, the limb that was constantly covered by a sleeve, suddenly felt as if it had been set aflame. His arm burned, it burned so much that he expected flames to sprout up from his skin under the sleeve.

When Cloud looked down at his arm however, he realized that he was actually not that far from the truth. The sleeve dripped black pus onto the flowers, making it seem as if Cloud's very arm were _melting_. He rolled the sleeve back a little, revealing a small portion of pale skin infected with dark star-shaped blemishes, scars, and scabs. Sweat nearly boiled on his skin and as his arm rose in temperature so did his entire body, making it hard for him to breathe. The world faded around him, including the scent of the flowers and the sounds of gunfire in the distance.

With every second that passed by, Cloud slipped further into unconsciousness. However, instead of the world gradually fading into black, the face of a man with long silver hair gazed and smirked malevolently at him through a wall of fire. The face became clearer in Cloud's mind with each passing moment, and no matter how much he fought to stay awake, the man's glowing green eyes and narrow snake-like pupils would not leave Cloud's brain. Finally he collapsed onto the ground, his face close to Tifa's, and his usually glowing blue eyes transforming into the same color as the man's eyes in his vision. When Cloud closed them, he succumbed to sleep, all of the sounds of war and chaos ceasing, leaving him to rest in the only place in the world where he still felt at peace.

* * *

_It's like a damn flea frenzy out here…_

Cid Highwind knew it was a wise decision to keep the _Tiny Bronco II_ out of the air. As much as he was itching to test out the plane's aerial skills, the countless number of dots in the sky kept him from doing so. The loud and whirring engines of the Galactic Empire's TIE fighters were almost everywhere on the planet, and from what Cid had seen so far, their speed capabilities and weapons systems were more than enough to blow the fighter jet/seaplane into smithereens.

_I've got to get me one of those things,_ Cid thought to himself as he stared though the dome cockpit of the _Tiny Bronco II_ at the masses of TIE fighter group formations that roamed the sky. _My sky,_ Cid thought angrily. _Assholes can come in and take our land all they want, but when you take my sky, you're only askin' for trouble._

He made sure to keep the seaplane close to the shores of the continents and avoided any wide-open waters whenever he could. He figured that if he kept the _Bronco_ on the water, the extra terrestrials would not identify it as any sort of immediate threat to be blasted away. He hoped.

Hopefully he would be able to get Fort Condor on the Midgarian continent in one piece. He was already traveling southward along the continent's west coast, among other cruise and merchant vessels headed for the port city of Junon, the second largest city on the Midgarian continent and the main harbor and base for all branches of Shin-Ra Inc.'s military. When Cid reached the city, he steered clear from it, not because of the influence Shin-Ra had there, but because of the TIE fighters guarding it and the countless number of white armored troops marching down the streets.

"So they already got Junon," Cid muttered to himself. "Damn roaches." He angrily gripped the controls of the plane, clenching hard on his teeth as well as on the unlit cigarette that hung from the side of his mouth. The Rocket Town pilot made it a priority to accelerate along the waters. The sooner he got to Fort Condor, the better.

Fort Condor itself had changed drastically after Meteorfall. What used to be a near defenseless tower-like rock formation in the middle of nowhere was now an airfield that rivaled even that of Junon's. It took up a good portion of the region, and a tall steel wall protected the perimeter of the base. Some fighter planes patrolled the area, but did not fly high enough to attract attention from Junon. Cid was glad to see that there was no sign of any of the Imperial extraterrestrials, but he knew that would not last long.

As he reached shallower waters and approached the beach, Cid began to accelerate and pick up speed. Soon enough the plane rose into the air, but he did not take it up higher than a few feet above the water. A voice suddenly cracked though his radio.

"_Unidentified aircraft, state your designation and purpose for your present course._"

"Cid Highwind, piloting _Tiny Bronco II_. You assclowns gonna let me in or what?"

The voice from the radio laughed. "_Nice to see you too, Highwind. Sorry about that, almost didn't recognize you with that new paint job you've got_."

The two fighter planes that were hovering in front of Cid swiftly moved away, allowing him to maneuver freely over the wall that protected the fort. Immediately he was greeted by the sight of the airfield filled with dozens of fighter planes of every kind. Seeing them made Cid feel almost sure they could win, for the rebels of Fort Condor had always been used to facing worse odds against the Shin-Ra. There was a time when they could not even afford decent guns and weapons for the few foot soldiers that they had. Now they were a thriving force, possibly capable of taking on the invaders of their world.

Cid allowed a smirk grace his rugged features. "Wait 'till they see my _secret weapon_," he said to himself. "Those roaches won't know what hit 'em."

He soon found a clear landing strip close to the central rock formation where all of Fort Condor was operated from. As soon as he landed and jumped out of the plane, a wide-eyed man bearing a buzz cut for hair, and wearing bright orange overalls with large brown welder's gloves greeted him. On the man's shoulder sat a black and white cat, who strangely enough wore a bright red cape and a golden crown on top of its head. The cat smiled up at Cid who only returned it with a frown.

"What the hell are you doing here, Cat?" Cid growled.

The wide-eyed man answered cheerfully, "Reeve sent him here from Junon and gave us some interesting news. Those Imperial guys, well, they've completely taken over Shin-Ra Company and even outlawed the buying, selling, and use of materia." He clapped his gloved hands together and shouted, "We've got double the enemy now!"

Cid scowled, "You sound awful damn cheerful about it, Sanderson!"

The other man shrugged. "Well, more enemies means more things to blow up!"

Cid couldn't agree more with the man, but either way he crossed his arms over his chest and replied, "You know you sure are trigger-happy for someone who's fightin' for a bunch of environmentalists."

The man shrugged again. "Well, ya do what ya can, I guess."

The cat sitting on the man's shoulder _spoke_. "Klay Sanderson is here to see that the weapons you've been waiting for are put on your plane for the upcoming battle."

Cid shifted his weight onto one leg and scratched his head. "You've all formed a plan already?"

The cat nodded. "Since myself and Reeve are now under the employ and disposal of the Galactic Empire-,"

Without warning Cid had seized the cat from Klay's shoulder and began to shake it violently in his hands. "You better be playin' on our side Cait Shit!"

The cat yelled frantically amidst the shaking, "I am! I am! Reeve sent me here to give you guys info so that you can prepare! The Empire is already preparing to attack this base from Junon!"

Cid stopped and eyed the feline suspiciously. "When?"

"Soon!" The cat threw its little arms in the air. "But if you attack now, you might be able to catch them off guard. They think you guys don't know!"

Cid's blue eyes narrowed at the animal. "You better be right about this, Cat." He then dropped it and the cat landed reflexively on its four limbs.

Standing on its two hind legs, the cat replied, "Has the great and wise fortuneteller Cait Sith ever let you down before? C'mon Highwind! You already know where my loyalties lie! Haven't we been through enough together to-,"

Cid snorted derisively. "Yeah, your loyalties lie with us, or it's your ass! You know, we probably don't stand a chance, but I ain't givin' up this world without a fight!" Quickly he leaped on top of the _Tiny Bronco II_ and shouted, "Alright, assholes!"

The many number of pilots that had been attending to their own business on the airfield looked up at Cid, surprised and startled. Cid exclaimed, Get you butts in gear, we're goin' to Junon to blow these roaches sky high! Soon as my bird gets her guns I'm leaving, and if you're not ready by then, too bad, cause I ain't waitin' for your asses!" Without another word he jumped down from the fighter jet, not bothering to wait for their reactions. Immediately Klay Sanderson began to clap.

"Well said, Highwind! Well said! I'll just go ahead and get those guns ready for ya!" With that the technician ran off, leaving Cid to stand by and listen to the chatter around him. He ignored the various comments about suicide missions and hopeless attempts. He knew from experience as a pilot that it was only ever the supposed suicidal and reckless fighters that survived and even won the battles.

Cid was interrupted from his thoughts when he felt a tug on his pant leg. He looked down to see Cait Sith staring up at him hopefully.

"I could not help but notice that your plane has two compartments, Cid," said Cait Sith.

"Well," Cid answered sarcastically. "It's nice to know that you can see, Cat, being with those eyes of yours always lookin' squinty and all."

"Ha, ha, very funny. Well, what's it for?"

"Shooting of course!" Cid exclaimed.

"Then I humbly request to be your co-pilot for this battle," Cait Sith said as he smiled up at Cid with two small pointed fangs sticking slightly out of his mouth.

"Not on your life, Cat," snapped Cid, turning away from him. However as soon as he did so, he was met face-to-face with a young woman with shoulder-length garnet colored hair. He noticed immediately that her left eye was a pale blue and the other was a pale green. He could not think on it for very long for the cat had leaped onto his shoulder and started to beg Cid to take him to the battle. Cid growled lowly in annoyance, "Hiya."

The woman returned it with a small smile. "Hello. You must be Captain Highwind. There's been a lot of talk about you around here lately."

"Really?" Cid answered, sounding interested, when really he could care less what the other pilots though of him.

"C'mon Cid, let me come! I can help!"

Looking over at his shoulder, he yelled, "Shut UP!" Cait Sith cried out in surprise as he fell off of Cid's shoulder. The pilot turned back to the woman who was laughing quietly to herself.

"Well," she continued, "they say that you're irresponsible, even suicidal, but I don't think so."

This caught Cid off guard. The unlit cigarette that was in his mouth fell out from his surprise. "Huh? Wha? You don't?"

The garnet-haired woman shook her head and replied happily, "Nope! In fact, I wanted to let you know that if you needed anything, here or in battle, I would be glad to help you!" The woman turned away, and began to walk off.

Cid blinked. "Uh, thanks. Hey, what's your name anyway?"

The woman stopped and glanced back at him. "Resia Tomebar, Captain Highwind."

Cid was in a considerably better mood by the time the _Tiny Bronco II_ was upgraded and he was up in the air with the other fighter pilots. He felt confident now, for there were more than two hundred planes in the air. There were more pilots on their side than he had originally thought there would be, thanks to the fact that the Fort Condor rebels were able to find some Shin-Ra pilots who had managed to escape the Empire.

_We're gonna win,_ Cid thought excitedly, as he chuckled almost maniacally to himself. _We're gonna win!_

They had finished the routine roll call by the time they were in sight of Junon. The pilots had dubbed themselves the Rabid Condors, so whenever a pilot designated himself or herself they would say 'Condor 1' or 2, or whatever number came next. To his embarrassment the pilots unanimously agreed to name Cid 'Captain Condor,' a name that made him slap his forehead as soon as he heard it.

"_All right!"_ exclaimed one of the pilots over the radio. "_Let's show 'em what we can do! Yee-Haw!"_

Cid sighed, muttering, "Nice to know I'm not the only crazy one here."

"Not crazy, Cid!" exclaimed a familiar voice somewhere behind him. "Just enthusiastic!" Cid gawked at Cait Sith who sat in the second compartment of the _Tiny Bronco II_ behind him, his front paws holding onto the handles of a machine gun while his hind legs stood on the seat.

"Cat!" Cid pounded on the glass of his own compartment. "What the hell are you doin' in my plane you crazy feline!?"

"Helping you," Cait Sith replied, unconcerned. "It would be an advantage for you to have a second rear gun!"

"GET OUTTA THERE!!!"

Cait Sith shrugged. "Afraid I can't do that. There's no where for me to go, other than to fall to my doom…" The cat stared through the glass down at the far landscape below.

Cid growled, "Well then you better get fallin' Cat, cause what I'm gonna do to you is-,"

"Oh look! More ships!" Cait Sith cut him off, pointing behind him towards the nose of the plane.

"Wha?" Cid turned back around in his seat and gasped at the three large triangular ships that floated high above Junon, much higher than the Rabid Condor's current altitude. Cid was willing to bet that they were just out of the planet's orbit and into the atmosphere, just large enough for them to see from the planet's surface. They were much like the original huge ship that appeared over Midgar. They were very large to Cid's standards, for they were bigger than the first and only space rocket Shin-Ra Inc. had built. The confidence that he had felt before was beginning to wane little by little.

"Star Destroyers," Cait Sith spoke, still sounding unconcerned, but rather fascinated. "That's what Reeve said they were. The first one that was spotted this morning was once called the _Devastator_!"

"You sound awfully damn cheerful about it!" Cid snapped. "What the hell's wrong with you, Cat! When we get our asses kicked, don't come crying to me!"

"_Captain Condor! Look at those things!_"

"_Captain, perhaps we should abort!_"

"_Why?_" another pilot answered. "_They're coming our way anyway! Let's take 'em out now while we have the chance!_"

"_What are you nuts!? We'll be slaughtered!_"

"SHUT UP!" Cid shouted into the radio. "We're going on! Any of you wanna desert and save your own hides, that's fine! Go hide under a rock, see if I care! Just don't let me catch your asses on the street after this!"

The radio quickly went silent after that. Cid glanced to his left as a dark green sleek looking fighter jet pulled up beside him.

"_Don't worry Captain Highwind,_" consoled a familiar, soft female voice. "_We can take them. Look at them, they're **pushovers**!_"

Cid gaped at the person who sat in the dark green plane. "Tomebar!? Resia Tomebar!?"

"_That's right!_" Resia replied. "_I told you that if you needed anything, I would be happy to help, right? Well, let's go destroy us some ships!_"

Cid could only sit there astounded as Resia's dark green jet zoomed off, doing outlandish spirals in the air. Cid scratched his head in thought. _Huh, guess she's as crazy as me then. Dang, and here I was startin' to feel a little unique…_

A crackle from the radio broke him from his thoughts. "_Captain Condor! The three ships! Look!_"

Cid gasped as a horde of TIE fighters filed out in massive groups from the three Star Destroyers. It was a giant swarm, easily doubling the numbers of the Rabid Condors.

"Evasive maneuvers!" Cid shouted, just dodging a barrage of green laser blasts from the approaching TIE's. In the second compartment of the _Tiny Bronco II_ Cait Sith was screaming for his life as Cid spun the plane in wild spirals to avoid the blasts.

"Aren't you gonna make yourself useful you stupid cat!? Start shootin'!"

Just below him a plane of the Rabid Condors exploded. Cid clenched his teeth in anger and let loose a barrage of bullets from the plane's main gun, seeking nothing but vengeance for his fallen comrade.

"_There's too many of them!_" An explosion followed.

Cid yelled in triumph as he flew though an explosion of a TIE fighter he had destroyed. "YEE-HAAW!! One down!"

Resia's voice came from the radio, "_Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen…_"

Cid was dumbstruck. _Three at once!?_ He couldn't help but feel just a little jealous. _Best not to think about that now,_ he thought. _This thing's far from over…

* * *

_

Loz hated how tranquil the Sleeping Forest was. Not because of the tranquility itself, but because it was just so boring! For the time that he and his brothers had resided there, Loz had come to despise the place along with its Forgotten Capital, the City of the Ancients. It was always so quiet and peaceful, and nothing ever happened there, so he could never have any fun.

_My playtime with that traitor's friend was fun though,_ Loz reminisced, allowing a mischievous smile to form on his lips, but then suddenly he frowned and his eyes took on the impression that he was going to cry. _But Mother wasn't there!_

"Let me go!" The panic-filled voice of the little girl brought the silver-haired man back to reality as she was struggling in his grip. Under one arm he clutched Marlene Wallace, holding her up in the air much like one holds a ball at their side. On his shoulder with the other hand he easily carried a large metal crate, one that he found in the church after he finished playing with Tifa Lockheart.

"Be quiet," he ordered as he walked away from his motorbike and down the trail of the Sleeping Forest. He did not pay much attention to the bright white trees that gave off an ethereal luminous glow. Loz had seen them many times before, and frankly he was getting sick of them, much like the sickening disgust he felt towards the flowers in that church in Midgar.

Marlene stopped struggling in his grasp. She was looking around in amazement at all of the trees in the environment. "Where are we?" she asked, almost in a whisper.

"The most boring place in the world," Loz answered sulkily.

"It's pretty," Marlene breathed, looking around in awe.

"Maybe for you," Loz muttered under his breath.

The trail led to a large lake, whose serene and calm waters made the lake appear like a sheet of shimmering crystal on the ground among the glowing trees. On the other side of the lake stood a large white and ancient structure in the shape of an oversized conch shell with spires along the top. In front of the shell structure stood another silver-haired man, much younger than Loz, which he came to recognize immediately as Kadaj, his youngest brother. When he reached the shell house, Kadaj was casually and idly swinging a sword experimentally in the air. Loz watched him for a few moments as Kadaj sliced the air with the double-bladed sword. Really, it was odd and unique weapon, for both of the blades stood parallel to one another on the same side of the sword's hilt.

"You brought it?" asked Kadaj, not looking at him.

"Mother wasn't there!" Loz more or less whined, his deep voice sounding out of place with his behavior. Though his glowing green eyes could not fill with tears, he still appeared as if he were going to cry.

Kadaj turned around to face him. "Are you crying?"

Loz dropped both the crate and Marlene on the ground protesting angrily, "No I'm not crying!"

"Well with your whining you sure sound like you are," Kadaj replied. He glanced over at the crate. "You found something?"

Loz nodded, stepping over an angry-looking Marlene. "Yes, our dear brother was keeping these away from us. Look!" He opened the crate, revealing a great number of glowing different colored orbs. Kadaj grinned maniacally at the sight.

Picking up a green orb from the box and holding it up in the air to study he said, "Powers forged from the Lifestream…."

"That's not yours!" exclaimed Marlene, getting up from the ground. "That's Cloud's and you can't have it!"

Kadaj ignored her. "Where's Yazoo?"

"He's coming with the kids in that truck he found," Loz answered.

"Denzel!" Marlene shouted. "Where's Denzel!?"

Kadaj chuckled and kneeled down to face Marlene. "Our siblings will be here soon, and will have our Reunion." He stared at Marlene with glowing emerald eyes, whose black pupils were narrowed into vertical, cat-like slits. The expression he wore could only be described as demonic, for it put a chilling grip over Marlene's heart.

The six year old gasped. "I-It's you, isn't it? You're…_him_."

"Hmph." Kadaj stood up and turned his back to her. "There are many who say that." Again he held up the materia he took from the crate. With it he held it over his left arm and pushed it gently down towards the black leather that covered his limb. The materia went _through_ his arm without regarding any state of matter in the way. Once the materia was securely in place inside his arm, it still let out a soft green glow, letting the owner know that it was ready for use.

"A gift from Mother," he murmured, almost to himself. "Only those with Mother's blood are able to use materia in this way. Her powers allow us to merge with the materia so that the powers of the Lifestream are greatly enhanced. Every other creature must use the materia on it's own." Suddenly he turned to Marlene, causing her to jump back slightly. "Reunion is upon us, and this time there will be no one to keep us away from her and our family."

* * *

They were not even challenges. They were _never_ challenges. Darth Vader had been disappointed the moment he fired upon the first Fort Condor plane that came across his path. The opposing vehicles were completely insignificant and obsolete to the Empire's standards of technology. The weapons used were weak; metal bullets compared to the power of the Empire's lasers, and torpedoes and rockets whose destructive power could not even meet the standards needed for the average space battle. He doubted their ships could even travel in outer space. Their speed capabilities were disgraceful.

They knew they could not match up to the Empire's power, this Vader was certain of. Yet, they decided to fight anyway instead of surrendering as they should have. Their spirited attempts and courageous natures were qualities that Vader almost came to respect after spending a little time in the battle.

_Brave,_ Vader mused, _but foolish._ He shot down a couple of more planes with much ease.

His flagship, the Star Destroyer _Devastator,_ made short work of Fort Condor itself with its turbo lasers. The base was left completely leveled within barely an hour since the fight began. The Imperials easily halved the numbers of Fort Condor's fighters without any trouble at all.

Still, Vader had noticed that the opposing side got more than a few lucky shots in, not that luck was even part of the formula. Vader knew without a doubt that it was the Force that kept the remaining pilots in the air, not fortune. He noted immediately that the Force was in work in some way when he witnessed many of the Imperial TIE fighters being shot down from the sky.

Two planes held his attention for the remainder of the battle: a black odd-looking one with two compartments for a cockpit and a sleek-looking emerald green one. The pilots of those planes were the most skilled of the bunch, and even after Fort Condor had been destroyed, they still kept on fighting.

The pilot of the black plane was an excellent shot and was gifted in evading the TIE's, not matter how fast the Imperials were. However, the pilot was very reckless and Vader knew it would not be long until the black plane was reduced to space dust.

Vader began to pursue the green plane, seeing it as more of a threat than any of the other remaining Fort Condor fighters. He chased it down in his custom built TIE Advanced x1 starfighter simply because the pilot of the green plane had killed the most Imperials thus far.

The moment he began firing at the green plane, the plane expertly spun out of the way, as if the pilot knew exactly when he was going to fire. Vader was intrigued from that moment on, for he knew that only a force sensitive could have reflexes and instincts such as those.

_There seem to be so many of them on this world,_ thought Vader. _First that Strife, then the Shin-Ra General, and then Isis Avonej. Now this pilot._ He remembered that out of all of the force-sensitives he had met, they had something in common: Cloud Strife, General Posada, and Isis Avonej all had glowing eyes. The Turk Elena had explained that it was a result of being showered with the substance known as Mako.

_So this Mako they have extracted from the planet increases the level of force-sensitivity within a sentient being,_ Vader deduced. _Force energy, extracted from the earth to strengthen soldiers. A first-rate idea, but with consequences. They have caused the destruction of their own world._

_The place where all of the energies of the Force are gathered…a great amount of Mako will be there as well._ That was where he would go, as soon as the battle was over and he would take Isis Avonej with him, as his master had ordered.

He brought his TIE in a sharp dive, following the dark green plane down. The pilot was _very_ force sensitive and it seemed as if the pilot knew of the powers it possessed as well. What Vader had sensed before from the Force in the beginning of the battle came from the pilot in the dark green plane.

_And it hasn't fired a shot since this began_. The green plane soared toward two approaching TIE fighters and turned sharply upwards. The two TIE's followed the plane as the pilot began to fly towards a TIE that came straight for it. As soon as all three pursuing TIE's began to fire, the green plane swerved out of the way and the Imperial fighters shot each other down instead of their enemy. _Three_ birds with one stone.

Darth Vader went in pursuit of the green plane once again. Long ago, it had been his duty to exterminate all of the Jedi in the galaxy. Now it was time to eliminate the force sensitive being before the pilot even had the chance to become a Jedi.

He could sense the over confidence from the pilot. That would be the pilot's downfall. Vader gave himself to the dark side of the Force, and allowed his anger towards the pilot of the green plane to take over his instincts. His Advanced x1 TIE fighter easily closed in the gap between himself and the dark green plane. He fired. The green lasers shot the back of his enemy's plane as the pilot had been maneuvering out of the way, thus saving the plane from complete destruction. He sensed the aggravation from the pilot. Perhaps the pilot was not as Jedi-like as he had originally thought.

The pilot did something completely unexpected. The green plane shot upwards and then feinted back in an attempt to move behind Vader's TIE. Vader, out of immediate reflex and countless years of experience, maneuvered so that both fighters faced one another head on. He could sense the pilot about to fire, but there was a disturbance in the Force…

Vader spun his TIE out of the way just as the shots came from behind. The bullets of course were not powerful enough to cause him any real damage, but whomever had shot at him caused Vader to lose sight of the green plane for the moment. Circling around, Vader found what had shot him from behind: the black fighter.

The two of them, both the black and the green planes had now found themselves the objects of Darth Vader's wrath. With the green plane damaged, it was very hard for its pilot to outmaneuver him and his shots. The black plane in the meantime remained above and around the green plane, shooting at Vader with a rear gun, signaling that there were actually two operating the black fighter jet.

They were challenges, Vader had to admit, but, like all challenges, there came the time for the Sith Lord to obliterate them. After all, he could not allow a potential future Jedi roam the galaxy, however unlikely it was for the pilot to actually find knowledge on the extinct religion.

Vader succumbed to his instincts once again, letting the dark side fill his senses. He could "see" the shadowy form of the rear gunner of the black plane getting ready to shoot. Vader pressed down on the controls that would fire a pair of green laser blasts towards his enemy. Within seconds a small explosion filled the air as Darth Vader witnessed the left wing of the black plane blast off and collide into the already damaged green airplane. He did not bother to stay and watch as both planes descended startlingly fast towards the forests below. After all, he had more important matters to attend to.


	10. Decoding and Recovery

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. The only characters that I can claim are General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and any other original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Nine: Decoding and Recovery**

The standard issue military boots tapped rapidly against the black tile as Captain Piett ran as fast as he could through the long hallways of the _Devastator_. As he reached the _Imperial_-class Star Destroyer's bridge he found Grand Moff Tarkin at the exact opposite end by the large viewport windows, arguing with another gray-uniformed man bearing a brown bushy mustache and a confident smirk on his face.

Tarkin was frowning and had turned to stare out of the viewport. "No, Admiral. I do not think that would be a wise option. Whatever information these Shin-Ra may possess on the one the Emperor is searching for is of the utmost importance. We cannot afford to have it destroyed." Captain Piett stopped just a few feet away from them and silently waited to be acknowledged. In his left hand he clutched a small disk in a clear plastic case.

The other man quickly replied, "The resistance groups in the city, Midgar, are hiding in the ruins and the best way to rid ourselves of the threat would be to take them all out at once."

Grand Moff Tarkin shook his head. "Unacceptable. We cannot risk losing the possibility that information on the man known as Sephiroth is hidden among the ruins. Dispatch squadrons to search. They should be more than capable of handling small and unorganized resistance groups. Until we find any files of Shin-Ra's dealings-,"

Piett stepped up and quickly interrupted, "Admiral Ozzel, Grand Moff." The two Imperials glanced at him, both looking slightly annoyed. "I apologize, but we have retrieved the information." Captain Piett held up the disk for them to see. "These files were found in a vault in Healin Lodge shortly after Lord Vader established control and designated it as an Imperial base. They have been decoded and translated to fit Basic, and are ready for your viewing."

"Excellent," replied the Admiral in a pleased tone. "Perhaps the files contain the information we need? If so, we may be able to destroy the ruins and eliminate the-,"

Tarkin frowned and interrupted loudly, "Even _if_ they are, Admiral Ozzel, we will not destroy any sites here on this system without acknowledgement from the Emperor or Lord Vader."

"And Fort Condor?" Admiral Ozzel challenged. "We were able to-,"

"Vader approved of it, and so did I," Tarkin promptly replied. "Until I find the resistance groups in the ruins of Midgar to be a major threat, then we will leave those sites as they are. Now," he turned back to Piett, "show me those files."

Captain Piett nodded and led the Grand Moff to an array of display screens, opening the plastic case and placing the disk in a scanner. Several clear blue and precise beams scanned the disk, and within minutes, the information was displayed on the screens. One screen contained the information in a language that neither Tarkin nor Piett could understand, while another larger screen allowed them to view it in Basic.

Tarkin's eyes narrowed in thought. There were many files, all organized into 'folders,' as each major section was given a name and a yellow icon in the shape of a simple folder to label it. There were many that piqued his interest, such as 'Neo Midgar,' and 'Shin-Ra Space Program.' The idea that the primitive beings of the unnamed planet, which they were conquering, could even get past their own atmosphere was of course laughable, but the Moff found it interesting nonetheless.

There were others as well, such as 'Mako Energies and Profits for' some month and year that meant nothing to him. Most of the disk contained bland and seemingly endless files depicting the cost that every citizen had to pay two years prior just for electricity – electricity that was converted from the extracted Mako. However, there was one titled 'Northern Crater' that told of a region in the north pole of the planet that contained nearly one hundred times as much Mako that had ever been extracted from Midgar in history. As he continued to search for the files that would prove more useful to them, Tarkin reminded himself to inform Vader of this 'Northern Crater.'

With a disconsolate sigh, Tarkin ordered, "Keep going." Piett and another officer, who had been working at that station, touched the screens, causing the files to scroll down rapidly at a speed that still allowed him to read the titles of the files.

**JENOVA Project**

The two words flashed on the screen for only a split second before scrolling up and following the rest of the files. Seeing it, Tarkin gave a start.

"Wait," he urgently commanded. The officer next to Piett stopped his work in surprise. "Go back," ordered Tarkin, "up to that…project."

'JENOVA Project' returned to the screen and as Captain Piett tried to access it, the screen flashed red, requesting a password. "The file is labeled as Top Secret, sir," said the captain.

"Yes, I can see that," spat Tarkin, "thank you." With another sigh, this time one of frustration, he said, "Keep going then. We'll come back to it."

**AVALANCHE **

_Terrorist Organization _

"Ah," replied Tarkin in a satisfied manner. "I think we finally found what we were looking for."

Captain Piett nodded and accessed the folder. Luckily, it did not ask for a password. Staring at the screen, Piett announced, "According to this, AVALANCHE was a small rebel group, with not even a dozen members, that gave Shin-Ra trouble two years ago. They performed acts of sabotage, bombing missions; they even managed to destroy one of the city's Mako reactors."

Tarkin was now rubbing his chin in interest, "And you said there were not even a dozen of them? How many exactly-,"

"Nine," Piett answered immediately. With an amused smirk he looked at the Grand Moff. "The file describes them as 'environmentalists with violent intentions and tendencies.' Not only were they responsible for destroying the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company's property, but according to this, they also caused the destruction of one of Midgar's sectors; exactly one-eighth of the city itself."

Grand Moff Tarkin raised a skeptical eyebrow. "Nine people destroyed one-eighth of a city."

Piett glanced back at the screen. "They were three at the time."

Tarkin was nearly speechless. "T-Three-," glancing from screen to screen he said, "bring up the individual-,"

"Criminal profiles," Captain Piett replied, cutting him off as he turned back to the screen that displayed the information in Basic. Nine names appeared on both screens, in order of highest priority of capture to lowest.

**Cloud Strife**

**Tifa Lockheart**

**Barret Wallace**

**Red XIII**

**Cid Highwind**

**Yuffie Kisaragi**

**Vincent Valentine**

**Cait Sith**

**Aerith Gainsborough _(deceased)_**

Grand Moff Tarkin stared at the screen, his cold eyes piercing through the name of 'Cloud Strife.' "Strife," he said. "He was the one who escaped custody not a few hours ago. Open his profile."

Captain Piett touched the name on the screen, and a picture of a young man with blond spiky locks and brilliant glowing cerulean eyes appeared, wearing an expression of cold anger on his face. There was a very lengthy description under his image, and from what Tarkin could tell, Shinra considered him the most dangerous of the alleged terrorists.

"Supposedly a former member of the elite force known as SOLDIER," Piett read, "turned mercenary for AVALANCHE. He was a witness and survivor of the _Nibelheim incident_, whatever that is, and was taken into custody for five years to be used in the JENOVA Project…" Captain Piett stared confusedly at the screen. "He is now self-employed, delivering packaged goods and items to individuals in the Midgar region for a small price." Piett was going to comment to the Grand Moff when he found something else on the screen. "Oh, wait. According to this, Strife was never part of SOLDIER at all, but a part of the experimentation he endured in the JENOVA Project was his injection of Mako and something called Jenova's cells." Finally, he looked at Tarkin. "What does all of this mean?"

Grand Moff Tarkin was silent, his hand holding his chin, but no longer rubbing it. Captain Piett looked slightly anxious as he uttered, "Sir?"

"It means," Tarkin spoke, letting his hand fall from his chin, "that our answers lie within that JENOVA Project file. I want it broken into before the end of the day. As for AVALANCHE…"

Captain Piett straightened, awaiting the orders that would spell the terrorist group's fate. Smirking lightly, Grand Moff Tarkin stepped towards the screen, accessing something that had nothing to do with Shin-Ra Inc.'s files. The image Piett saw on the screen made him visibly pale, as it displayed a menacing figure of an armored humanoid with a green helmet and armor, holding a rather large blaster.

"S-Sir," the captain of the _Devastator_ stammered. "You really don't mean-,"

"Yes, I do, Captain," Tarkin answered. "As of this moment, AVALANCHE is no longer a concern to us. All eight of it's surviving members will be quite busy trying to get those prices off their heads, as they are all wanted, dead or alive."

* * *

_Damn, what a headache…_

Cid Highwind rubbed his forehead, grimacing, as it had banged against the readout panel of the jet plane when he was shot down during the battle. His jaws hurt and he tasted blood, but fortunately for him he did not feel any loose teeth. He did feel something trickling down the side of his face however, and was startled to find that he had a rather nasty gash on the right side of his head.

"And why the hell do I feel so heavy?" he groaned. Cid soon discovered the reason however, as he found that he was sitting in a cockpit of a plane that was turned on its side. Angrily kicking the compartment open, Cid tumbled out of the plane, yelping as his body rolled painfully over debris and sharp tree branches.

Standing up, Cid cursed vehemently to himself as he rubbed his sore and aching muscles. His usually rough expression seemed to cry out despair as he looked onto the remains of the _Tiny Bronco II._ Lying on its side, both of the plane's wings were missing, as well as the back portion of the body. In the rear gunner compartment, Cait Sith laid sprawled across the glass, the cat's face looking quite ridiculous as it was smashed against it. Cid was not worried about the robotic toy though, for he knew that if it had been damaged in any way, Reeve could easily make the repairs.

"Ohh…" moaned the cat, his voice sounding distorted as his lips were also pressed against the glass. "A little help here, if it's not too much trouble…"

Cid limped towards the plane, cursing loudly as he nearly tripped over a piece of charred metal. "Yeah, alright, alright." Cait Sith fell out and landed unceremoniously on the ground as the pilot forced the compartment open.

"Wow, you look pretty bad," Cait Sith commented with squinty eyes and an unconcerned smile as he stared up at the much taller human. Cid scowled.

"Thanks for noticing," Cid growled, turning away from the toy robot. "Damn. I sure hope that Resia is all right. She was great up there."

"Yeah," replied Cait Sith, "and so was that guy who shot us down. I wonder who he was?"

"An asshole," Cid grunted, "who if I ever see again is gonna get my spear stuck straight up his ass!"

Cait Sith shook his head, "but how could you, if you don't even know what he looks like?"

Cait Sith's words went unheard to the pilot, as Cid had raised his fist to the blue sky and shouted, "You hear me asshole!? You better watch your back, 'cause I'm comin' for ya! ASSHOLE!!!" A cacophony of birds shrieked in fright as Cid's howl was heard throughout the forest.

"Well, Mr. Highwind," Cait Sith announced, beginning to walk away from the scene, "I think you made your point quite clear. Now let's get you back to Rocket Town so that you can see your family…and a therapist."

"Why you little…" Cid made a lunge for the cat's throat, and with a yelp, Cait Sith ran off into the woods, screaming for his life as the enraged pilot ran after him in pursuit.

Cait Sith ran and ran, not caring which way he went. Cid would tire eventually, but Cait Sith, being a robot, could go for hours. He just hoped that Cid hadn't brought any materia with him…

A clearing in the forest made Cait Sith stop dead in his tracks. His mouth open, he gaped at what he saw before him. Cid was still coming at him in full speed, and not expecting the cat to stop so suddenly, he tripped over Cait Sith's small form and landed face first right in front of the demolished dark green plane that was Resia Tomebar's.

After spitting grass and dirt out of his mouth, Cid looked onto the scene, still on the ground, dread crossing his features. Resia lay face down under the massive hull of the plane, quite unconscious, if not worse.

"Shit!" Cid exclaimed as he got to his feet and ran to Resia's aid. Relief flooded over him as he found that she had not been crushed due to the fact that she was under the open cockpit of the plane that had landed upside-down when it crashed.

"Come on, sweetheart," Cid said as he pulled her out. "Don't be dead, don't be dead." As he held her body in his arms, the garnet-haired pilot breathed only slightly. A trail of blood flowed from the corner of her mouth and there was a horrific gash above her right eyebrow.

"Damn," Cid muttered. "I didn't bring any materia. Did you?" Cait Sith shook his head sadly. "Damn it!"

Resia's eyes suddenly snapped open, making Cid jump in surprise as her pale blue and pale green eye both stared at him in a manner that Cid had never seen from her before. She looked almost…insane.

"Hey!" Cid exclaimed, smiling nervously. "You all right?"

"Quite," Resia replied in an emotionless tone. Now Cid was even more unnerved by her sudden change in demeanor. Unexpectedly, she rolled out from Cid's grasp and nimbly got to her feet; as if she had never endured the injuries of the plane crash to begin with. Cid noted with concern that her fingers lingered dangerously close to the gun at her waist and the hilt of her sword on her left side.

"You sure you all right?" asked Cid in a very serious tone. This was not the same cheerful pilot he had first talked to in Fort Condor.

"The Calamity," she answered, her two different-colored eyes narrowing. "Where is it?"

Cid slowly stood up, his blue eyes never leaving Resia's form. "Don't know jack-shit about what you're talkin' about, hon, but if you're hurt, we should get you to Junon quick."

Suddenly, the gun was in Resia's hand and was aimed right between Cid's eyes. "Don't change the subject!" she shouted, enraged. "That which fell to destroy this world _must_ be found, and your people know where it is. Tell me!" She took a step forward and pressed the gun to his forehead. Cid visibly flinched, and regretted it when she pulled the hammer back.

"You really need to calm down," Cid sternly suggested. "I don't have a damn clue about what you're talking about, and that's the truth."

The garnet-haired pilot scowled. "You're one of them, aren't you?" Her expression was almost bestial as she pressed the barrel of her black pistol harder against his head. "You're with them! If you are, I have no choice but to destroy you!"

Cid's eyes widened as her index finger began to pull back to fire the weapon. As she did so, Cid grabbed her arm and pushed it away from him, shouting as the gun fired at empty space instead of him. Resia punched him with her other arm, but Cid did not let go, wrestling her and twisting her am back so that she did not fire at him. She howled in pain and in rage as he kicked the back of her knee to make her fall to the ground as he twisted her arm behind her, wrenching the gun from her hand. Cid tossed it to Cait Sith, who nearly dropped it twice before securely holding onto it. The demon-like Resia struggled and fought against him, but it was no use. Cid had her arms behind her back, and was pushing her more to the ground with each struggle that she gave.

"What the heck is wrong with her?" Cait Sith exclaimed. "She wasn't like this before!"

"I think that crash got to her head," Cid replied. "It ain't uncommon for pilots to come out mentally screwed up after being shot down from thousands of feet in the air."

All of a sudden, Resia ceased all of her resisting and let out a pained and frightened cry. "Wha?! Where am I?!" she cried hysterically, "What's going on!?"

Cid and Cait Sith shot each other confused and wary glances. Cait Sith took cautious steps towards Resia and scratched his head at the sight of her eyes watering up with frightened tears.

"Uh…I think maybe you should let go of her, Cid."

"What're you insane!?" shouted Cid. "For what, so that she could pull a gun on us again?"

"A gun!?" exclaimed Resia in disbelief and shock. "I-, what!?"

"That's right, lady!" Cid retorted. "A gun!" He tightened his grip on Resia's arms and she howled in pain.

"Cid, you're hurting her!" Cait Sith ran to their side and began tugging on Cid's arm in an attempt to free Resia. Cid did not notice until that moment that Resia's arms had been heavily bandaged. The blond pilot released her, and Resia fell to the ground again. Groaning, she sat up, rubbing her bandaged arms with an agonized expression.

Cid felt a sharp pang of guilt, but he did not pretend to forget about the weapon she had pointed at him earlier. "Care to explain?" Cid asked, crossing his arms over his chest and spreading his feet apart.

Resia grimaced as she tightened the metal clasp on her left forearm that kept the bandages in place. Cid momentarily wondered if she had Geostigma. It was odd though, for she had never displayed physical signs of the disease, and surely she would not have been able to participate in such a heated aerial battle if she had.

"I…I'm so sorry!" Resia's voice broke as she fought to keep her tears from falling. "I-I don't honestly remember pulling a gun on you, all I remember is falling…" She covered her face with hr hands momentarily before continuing, "Then I woke up with you holding my arms behind me. If I did pull a gun on you, it wouldn't be the first time I had, without remembering it anyway."

"You were like a completely different person," Cait Sith responded. "You mean to say that this has happened before?"

Resia's expression took on a horrified visage as she gasped, "Yes, and much worse. I'm just so relieved that I didn't hurt anyone this time."

"And why does this happen?" Cait Sith inquired. "Is it something that happened to you?"

"When we were crashing," Resia explained gravely, "my mind broke down. I was experiencing similar events from two years ago. Memories of the _Gelinka_ crash merged with present events."

"Woah! Hold the chocobos!" the robot cat exclaimed. "You were a survivor of the airplane _Gelinka_ that crashed two years ago? I was under the impression that _no one_ survived."

"I'm the only one," Resia replied. "I was it's pilot. Our last flight…was to deliver weapons and supplies that would aid in destroying Sephiroth, but Ultima WEAPON shot us down and we crashed into Junon's bay." Covering her face with her hands again she sobbed, "and I couldn't save them! My whole crew drowned while I was chosen to survive with this…curse!"

"Chosen?" Cid asked. "What the hell does that mean? You were just lucky, that's all."

"I don't call that luck," she murmured.

"Well, you should!" he reprimanded. "Hot damn, you should be glad you got to live a little bit longer! You only got one life and one chance to do everything you wanted to do. Yeah, sure, ya' black out and go crazy sometimes, but that wouldn't stop me!"

Resia sat in silence, as if she were truly considering Cid's words. Cid hastily searched his pockets for a lighter and cigarettes, feeling uncomfortable over the fact that he had just put himself on the spot and the center of attention. He never considered himself particularly talented at making speeches, and he didn't like saying them either. It was only ever once, with AVALANCHE that he did so, and Cid promised himself never to do it again. Now he cursed to himself as he searched for his cigarettes in vain.

"What I meant by 'chosen,'" Resia broke the silence, "is that I was saved by one whose main purpose is to kill the race that destroys the planet."

"Huh?" uttered Cait Sith, scratching his head again.

"The _Gelinka_ was already underwater when I managed to escape," said Resia. "I couldn't save my crew, who by that time I had already considered my one and only family. Problem was, we were already so deep that when I escaped, I didn't have enough air to make it to the surface." Resia's eyes held a far away look as she continued her story. "I knew I wasn't going to make it, and right before I passed out, I saw a pair of bright green eyes above me. Its form had blocked the surface that I was trying to reach. I woke up sometime later on the shore of some beach. Not sure how long exactly, but when I did come to Emerald WEAPON was walking back into the water.

"Why would Emerald WEAPON save a human?" Cait Sith asked, puzzled.

"To this day I don't know the answer," she replied, "but since then I've had random blackouts where I wake up in strange and unfamiliar places, not remembering what I did. In fact…" Resia stood up and began to walk away from them. "I probably shouldn't stick around here anymore. I'm just a danger to you both."

"No wait! Don't go," Cait Sith objected. "It's dangerous out there!"

"Yeah," Cid agreed, "and those asswipes will probably come and start searchin' this place soon. You're better off with us. If you happen to black out when they find us, then that'll be even better because those dipshits won't stand a chance, then."

At first she stared at him in disbelief and then she smiled. "All right." The garnet-haired woman picked up her gun from the ground and holstered it. "So where to now?"

Cid examined a nearby tree for one moment before walking westward. "Junon."

"Junon!?" Cait Sith exclaimed. "What're you crazy!? The Empire is all over that place!"

"I know that!" Cid spat over his shoulder. "But if we can get a boat to the Middle Continent and make it to Rocket town in time, then I can get my _secret weapon_ ready and unleash hell over those bastards." Without another word Cid disappeared into the woods, leaving Resia's damaged plane behind.

"Secret weapon?" Cait Sith questioned. "I wonder what he's talking about?"

"I have no idea," Resia replied, beginning to follow Cid, "but whatever plan Captain Highwind has in mind, I'm sure it'll be good."

* * *

The Emperor's hologram shimmered before the kneeling Darth Vader. His yellow eyes seemed to pierce threateningly at everything he gazed at, and Emperor Palpatine's crooked smile seemed to only show intentions of wrongdoing.

"Good," the Emperor praised him. "Very good, Lord Vader. I am pleased. The world is nearly under our control, and you have found the location where all of the energies of the Force are gathered."

"It is a crater to the northernmost pole. According to the information Tarkin decoded, that is where most of the planet's energy is building up." Darth Vader finished, his mechanic breathing following his explanation.

"The child," Palpatine replied. "There will be no need for you to send her to me just yet. Take her to this crater, and see if she finds him there."

"Yes, my master."

Emperor Palpatine's hologram vanished, and Darth Vader left the dark room, making his way towards the holding cells of the _Devastator_. When he reached her cell, Isis had been sitting, staring at her feet as she swung them back and forth. Even with his loud breathing and booming voice she did not acknowledge him as he spoke.

"You're will accompany us to the Northern Crater," he announced without introducing any other options for her. Isis slowly lifted her head to stare up at him, her green eyes unbelieving.

"You have got to be kidding me." Vader said nothing in response. "That is the most suicidal thing anyone can do. Do you have any idea what's in that place? The monsters that live in there? People who go in there never come back out."

"Not according to the report Shinra made on it. Your president returned from it unscathed," Vader countered. Isis scoffed and looked back down at her booted feet.

"Like I give a damn about what happens to that scumbag," she spat rather mercilessly. "Why do you need me to go anyway?"

"You will guide us through."

"But I've never been there before," she objected. "How do you expect me to-,"

"You are to lead us to him," Vader explained. Isis looked up again.

"Lead you to Sephiroth?" she questioned. "That'd be kinda hard considering he's _dead_! Not to mention that I've never seen him. I don't even know him." Isis sighed, shaking her head, but then she stood up, grinning rather mischievously. "Wait a minute, what the hell am I complaining about!? It beats being stuck here in this stupid room! All right! I'll go with you guys, but on one condition-,"

"You're not in a position to propose conditions," Vader answered flatly.

"Well I sure as hell ain't going in that place without my weapons!" Isis exclaimed frantically. "I'm not kidding about those monsters, you know! There's things in that crater that'll wipe out twenty of your troops with one blow! Even if you bring your whole army in there, there's no way you're going to get me to go without any way to defend myself!" Isis opened her mouth to say more, but Vader promptly cut her off.

"Very well, then," he said, the irritancy in his voice very apparent. Isis could not help but grin over her victory again the widely feared and menacing Dark Lord of the Sith, but she could not savor it for long, for Vader threatened, "Just know that any attempts of escape would be futile."

Vader turned to leave the cell and Isis' eyes widened in fright as she felt invisible fingers tighten around her throat. It was not until Vader had completely left the cell and two stormtroopers entered, that she was able to breathe freely once again.

Following Vader, the stormtroopers escorted Isis to one of the _Devastator_'s hangar bays, where a white shuttle with three wings, two of them folded inward, sat, as well as a variety of other vehicles that she could only guess at their functions. There were flying gunships, hovering vehicles, which they called speeders, and a great many of the TIE fighters Isis had seen in the air before. The hangar was in a frenzy, as all of the _Devastator's _crew was aware of the expedition that was about to take place.

An Imperial officer approached her, and Isis recognized him and the captain she had seen on the bridge when she was first brought in. He was holding her daggers and their sheaths, and Isis was delighted to see that all of her materia was still in the dagger's respective slots.

"Just so you know," the captain warned, "This is only temporary. Don't try anything funny. The 501st won't hesitate to shoot you on the spot."

Isis smiled assuredly. "Don't worry, I already got the message." She involuntarily shivered, remembering how her airway had been shut painfully, even if it was only for a few seconds. Curious, she asked, "What's the 501st?"

"The Empire's most elite regiment. They'll be accompanying you on this mission," the captain explained.

"Oh, " Isis answered, sounding interested. "So they're something like SOLDIER?"

The captain hesitated for a moment before replying, "_Something_ like that, yes."

She nodded in response, taking the daggers from him. "Cool." She glared as a stormtrooper jabbed the barrel of a blaster into her back, signaling her to get a move on. As she was being pushed away, Isis called out to him, "Well, I'll see you later then, uh…"

With a sigh, the captain replied, "Piett."

Vader and at least twenty stormtroopers, as well as over forty tons of cargo and ammunition had already boarded the Imperial shuttle Isis was led into. She wondered constantly how a ship with three wings was supposed to fly, but when she was led into the cockpit of the ship, she stopped her questioning as her attention was diverted to the many lit up controls and buttons that she could not even begin to imagine what were used for. To her surprise, Vader sat in the pilot's chair with another Imperial as co-pilot.

Sitting down in a chair behind Vader, Isis asked him, "So who exactly do you have in mind for a guide in the Northern Crater, anyway? It would have to be someone who's actually been there before, you know, not someone like me who hasn't."

"I know of someone who may be familiar with the region," came Vader's reply.

"Oh," she replied, slightly amused as she sat back against the black chair. "Well, that's good."

Vader said nothing in response. A voice came cackling in through the ship's communicator, "_Shuttle _Tydirium,_ you are clear to take off_." Vader pulled back on the thruster and the Imperial shuttle slowly lifted into the air. Isis gripped onto the sides of her chair as the engines made her seat vibrate. Her heat raced as the shuttle took off at an alarming speed through the open hangar and into the blackness of outer space.

Isis held her breath as she stared out of the front view port of the cockpit. There were stars everywhere, more than she had ever seen in her entire life. She wondered for the first time in hours, _why aren't we floating? I thought there was no gravity in space._ Blinking, the silver-haired seventeen year old took a look at her immediate surroundings, as if expecting to find an instrument labeled 'gravity control.'

The _Tydirium_ went into a sharp and complicated maneuver, making Isis' stomach turn over twice. Suddenly the view port displayed the bright blue-green planet from which she was born and the brilliant sight of it made her realize that she was still holding her breath. Exhaling loudly, Isis panted, feeling light-headed.

"You okay back there?" The co-pilot asked without looking at her. He was a blond man, younger than Piett and appearing to be in his mid-twenties. She found it odd that he did not appear as tense around Darth Vader as the other Imperials did, so she figured that it was his young air of over-confidence that got the better of him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied. _Poor guy._ _Probably won't last a week around here with helmet-head around._

The Imperial shuttle then changed its course towards a section of the planet that was not nearly as bright or nearly as green as the other continents. All those miles above she recognized the gray and dead Midgarian continent and their destination: Midgar. The starship shook almost violently as it passed through the planet's atmosphere - the gray acidic clouds that covered the city of Midgar. Isis sincerely hoped that if it started to rain that the ship would be well protected against the downpour of acid that fell frequently upon Midgar.

The shuttle landed somewhere in the wasteland surrounding Midgar, in the middle of a small battle where Isis could see Shin-Ra and Imperial troops alike fighting…well, she couldn't exactly tell what they were battling against, but it certainly wasn't each other.

Without her noticing, Vader's billowing black cape swept past her. "Come," he ordered, and she promptly took pursuit.

There was a vicious breeze sweeping through the wastelands that threw pounds of dirt into the air. A tent had been set up some ways off with a trench and wall surrounding its perimeter for protection. Troops belonging to both Shin-Ra and the Empire ran in and out frequently, returning and departing from battle. General Naomi Posada was inside the tent, standing near a holographic map that the Empire had provided and discussing the situation with an Imperial officer.

"So that would mean that we're nearly done with this," said the Imperial, his hands behind his back. Naomi nodded, a part of her hoping some more of those monsters would appear to prolong the real battle that needed to continue. She knew as well as every other soldier present that Shin-Ra's forces did not stand a chance against the sheer number of troops that the Empire had brought from across the galaxy.

"It's still not over yet though," she said. "We've managed to clear out a good majority of them, but every time we kill one of those monsters, two more appear. It's as if they're being _summoned_ from somewhere." The Imperial scoffed at the idea, but Naomi maintained a very serious composure. She knew better than any of the Imperials that through the use of a special materia, monsters like, if not worse, than the one's they had been fighting could actually be summoned.

A labored breathing filled her ears and she turned to the source of it, surprised to see Darth Vader standing in the tent, his form towering above all of them.

"Oh," she said, sounding mildly sarcastic as she turned to looked down at the holographic map again, watching it as the holographic representations of the Empire's troops and vehicles moved across it. "It's you."

The Imperial officer she had been speaking with bowed and saluted Vader. "My Lord, you'll be pleased to hear that we have-," he suddenly gagged, his hands reaching for his throat as he felt the air squeeze from out of his lungs.

Pointing a gloved finger at the man, Vader spoke threateningly, "Do not presume to know what will please me, Commander. I am not here to listen to your report concerning the creatures. You'll do well to remember it next time." He released the officer, and the Imperial commander quickly left the tent, coughing and hacking for much needed air.

Naomi stood with her hands on her hips and an amused smirk across her features. "Bad day?"

"The Northern Crater, General," Vader replied without wasting any time, "are you familiar with it?"

"Yes," she answered, giving him a suspicious eye. "Why?"

"Are you familiar with all of its details and inner workings? Are you readily able to navigate a squad through it?"

She did not like where this was going. Crossing her arms she said, "I had an assignment inside the crater two years ago. Just where are you going with this?"

"I need a guide," Vader explained, but before he could say any more, she began to object.

"Oh no, not this again. No way you're getting me to go into that death trap again! No señor!" Walking past him once, Naomi continued, "and let me remind you that I don't take orders from your Empire. Go ahead, choke me all you want, but I haven't surrendered just yet. Shin-Ra is still in this game whether you like it or not."

"I think not," Vader replied. "It would probably interest you to know that your President Shinra is dead and all of Shin-Ra Power Company's resources now belong to the Galactic Empire."

Naomi's usually tan complexion was now as white as a sheet's. "No…you're lying."

"Even though you have not surrendered, Shin-Ra already has. You can either accept it, or die."

Naomi bowed her head, staring at her combat boots. The Shin-Ra general was now under the employ of the Empire. When she looked back up, she spotted a mane of silver move from behind Vader. A young girl moved into Naomi's line of vision, curiously looking at everything with glowing emerald eyes.

"It can't be…" Naomi whispered. The girl glanced at her and frowned when Naomi uttered the name of 'Sephiroth.'

"This the person you were talking about?" The girl asked Vader. "Hi, I'm Isis," she said quickly. "Can we go now?"

"Silence," Vader nearly growled. "Well, General?"

With a simple nod, Naomi answered in a low and defeated voice, "Sure. Yeah, I'll take ya' to the Northern Crater."

**Author's Note:** Shuttle _Tydirium…_ Sound familiar?


	11. Drifting

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. The only characters that I can claim are General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and any other original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Ten: Drifting**

When Cloud awoke he realized that he had been dreaming about water. Water. The thought of such a simple substance made him feel strangely at ease, as if the compound of two hydrogen and one oxygen would somehow make his worries and troubles disappear. Oh, the thought of it…would life ever be normal for him again? Did he ever have a normal life to begin with? What would it be like not having to worry about Geostigma, alien invaders, and mysterious individuals that kidnapped children and harmed Tifa-,

_Tifa._

Cloud quickly sat up, realizing for the first time that he was no longer in the Sector 5 church, but rather a simple room with two beds, Tifa sleeping soundly in the bed next to his. Upon further inspection, Cloud concluded that he was on the second floor of Seventh Heaven, but he did not wonder for very long who could have possibly brought him and the unconscious Tifa there, as he stood over Tifa's form, staring down at her with concerned eyes.

It was around dusk in the Edge sector. The fighting and chaos outside had lessened considerably, and every now and then Cloud could hear the synchronized footsteps of a group of stormtroopers on the street, and the occasional roar of a TIE fighter zooming over the city. Orange sunlight poured through the window that Tifa's bed was closest to and revealed faint light brown highlights in Tifa's raven hair. Something she had said to him a while back came to him.

_"Really Cloud, you're always drifting from the subject. You know, I'm seriously starting to think that you're going to give me white hairs before my time. Stop making me worry so much about you. You wouldn't want me to look like Sephiroth before I hit 30, would you?"_

_"You're only 22, Tifa. I doubt that's even possible."_

Laughing, she replied, _"With you it's very possible."_

Although her reprimanding was meant to humor and cheer him up, Cloud felt the opposite when he remembered the conversation and stared down at her form. She looked troubled in her sleep. Tifa was always so optimistic, and to see her like this…

"You know you were pretty heavy."

Cloud swiftly turned to the sound of the voice, caught off guard. Reno stood a ways from him, in the dark corner of the room where the sunlight did not reach and his bright red, flaming hair stood out above all else on him. Rude stood by the bedroom doorway, his arms folded across his chest and his sunglasses obscuring his eyes, giving Cloud the impression that the Turk was guarding the door to keep people from coming in…or going out.

"Got kind of worried when I came into the store and there was no one here," said Reno. "Door was open and everything."

Cloud shot him a skeptic look. "You? Worried?"

"Well…yeah!" Reno replied, sounding genuinely abashed as he brushed his disheveled red hair back with one hand. "There was no one here to serve me any liquor, and I had half a mind of just opening a bottle, but I figured Tifa would probably snap my neck if I did." Cloud rolled his eyes and shook his head. "So we went lookin' for her and found you guys in that church. Tell her sorry for me, will ya? I couldn't help myself, I had to take a bottle when we came back. Maybe this time she'll just break my arm or something."

Reno visibly sighed, looking frustrated, and Cloud asked, "What happened?"

Rude shifted uncomfortably, and Reno answered, "Aw, it's nothin' for you to worry about. Empire's just been takin' control of things, givin' us some trouble. Oh, by the way, we brought your bike here too. The box is still safe an' sound. _Don't_ lose it."

Cloud clenched his teeth, agitated with Reno's vague explanation. There was something else bothering the Turks, and he knew it; something bigger. Quite suddenly, the usually silent Rude spoke up.

"Weren't there some kids living with you?"

"Oh, yeah!" Reno replied, realization hitting him. "The church was completely empty when we got there. If you had any materia there man, count on it being gone now."

"Damn it," Cloud muttered. He had a large crate filled with the materia he and AVALANCHE had collected on their travels, and it had more than likely been stolen by whoever it was that attacked Tifa.

"That okay with you or something?" Rude asked. Suddenly Cloud could not answer, and to Reno and Rude's confusion, Cloud did not appear to be as bothered about the situation as he had been ten seconds ago. The blond swordsman looked rather confused, indecisive.

"I…" was all Cloud could utter in response.

Reno sighed as he made his way towards the door to leave. "You are so annoying, yo."

* * *

Cloud paced about impatiently as night fell over the city of Midgar. Occasionally he would stop at the window next to Tifa's bed and stare out at the bright full moon in the oddly clear sky in confusion. Midgar's sky was _never_ clear.

It was an hour or so ago that he heard the shouts of outraged Midgarians outside. Apparently, the Empire had just strictly outlawed the use and distribution of materia, and Cloud immediately realized that it all had to do with him. After all, he had escaped them through means of blowing a hole open through his cell. That, however, was of no concern to him, as most of his materia had been stolen from him anyhow.

There was also the disturbing matter that the Empire was in search of eight fugitives belonging to an organization called AVALANCHE. Déjà vu hit Cloud like a bag of bricks. It was only two years ago that he had been hiding out in Tifa's restaurant with Barret Wallace, the founder of AVALANCHE, and it's original members, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie. Hiding from the Empire was nothing new to him, as he used to hide from the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company on frequent occasion.

Truthfully, the situation with the Empire was not bothering him very much. What plagued his mind was his failure to protect Tifa and the orphans. Marlene was missing as well, and once her father Barret found out, he was sure the short-tempered Corel miner would try his best to get Cloud's head on a platter. A thought occurred to him…if he turned himself into the Empire and to Darth Vader, then perhaps they could help him find the children?

_Stupid idea_, Cloud thought immediately. _I doubt they'll even care, but…it's not like I can save them anyway…_ Cloud's azure, luminous eyes stared sorrowfully through the window, the blue light of them reflecting against the glass. He had a feeling that the group behind the kidnappings was the one Rufus had described to him, the three silver-haired men Rufus wanted him to keep the box from.

_That box…_ a very strange sensation went through him, much like the one he experienced when he arrived at the church hours before. It was like a forewarning of danger, and Cloud was not unfamiliar to it. He considered it a useful instinct, and it served him well many times in the past, during vicious battles. He did not have a name for it, but it allowed him to almost foresee oncoming danger, enabling him to act before his enemy did. This time, he decided to heed the warnings of his instincts. Getting himself involved with the kidnappers was too dangerous, and he was certain he would not be strong enough to protect the children. If he could somehow convince Vader…

Tifa stirred. With a moan she sat up, rubbing the side of her head. She looked to him and he paced away from her bed, informing her, "Reno and them are searching."

She nodded and looked away from him as he stopped by his bed, saying nothing. Something was still bothering her, and the bandages Marlene had showed her in the church came to mind. "You have Geostigma, don't you?"

Cloud looked at her, staring hard. He then looked down and sighed. "How did you find out?"

Tifa stared at his left arm, the one covered by the long black sleeve while the other one remained sleeveless, bearing only a glove. "When…you came back, you were different. You sounded like you had lost something. At first I thought it was because of, well, _her_, but then Marlene showed me the bandages."

Cloud walked over and sat in front of her on his bed. There was silence, and he could not bear to look at her. She studied him, and then said, "You're going to give up and die_.' _Is _that_ what you're thinking, Cloud?" Tifa glared hard at him, but still he said nothing. Looking away and shifting her position on the bed so that she was hugging her legs, she said, "As I thought."

"There's no cure," said Cloud.

"That's no excuse!" Tifa scolded, facing him again. "Denzel was trying his best wasn't he? You don't see _him_ wishing for death, and he's nine! Why don't you fight the 'Stigma with us instead of running away? We could all help each other and try out best!" Again silence, and Tifa glanced at her nightstand, where a picture of herself, Marlene, Denzel, and a dejected-looking Cloud was standing. That was taken less than a month ago, when she had adopted Denzel and Cloud had been living with her in Seventh Heaven, running his small delivery business. Of course, that had been before he left and disappeared for nearly two weeks.

"I guess that only works with _real_ families, huh?" Tifa replied to his silence. She leaned back against the headboard, expecting more silence, but to her surprise, he actually spoke.

"I can't," he said, sounding defeated. "I can't save anyone, I don't think. _Neither my family, nor my friends…no one._" It was a phrase he repeated to himself often, but he had never said it to another individual.

"Drifting, drifting…" Cloud slowly looked up at Tifa who was muttering the strange chant. Angrily she repeated, "Drifting, drifting, you're _always_ drifting!"

Reno's unceremonious and curt voice penetrated the tense air. "I think she wants you to move on man."

Tifa sat up, sounding desperate, "You couldn't find them!?"

"There was a witness who saw them being taken away," Reno explained. "Descriptions match three skinny dudes with silver hair."

_I knew it_, Cloud thought. "Where did they go?" he asked.

Rude, at his usual position by the door answered, "They were seen heading towards the City of the Ancients on the Icicle Continent…the Forgotten Capital."

Reno nodded. "We still have authority over most of Shin-Ra Inc.'s resources. We can fly you over there with one of our helicopters."

"You take care of it," Cloud immediately replied, and this issued confused glances from the Turks and Tifa. Standing up, Cloud declared, "I have to talk to Vader."

"Are you insane!?" Reno hissed. "That guy will skewer you into sushi and have you for breakfast tomorrow!" Tifa shook her head and slapped her knees in frustration.

"Stop running!" she exclaimed. "I know you, Cloud. You think that even if you find the children, you might not be able to help them. Something might happen that can't _un_-happen. That _scares_ you, doesn't it? Well you have to think about now, really take it in!"

Amidst Tifa's ranting, Reno and Rude were arguing with each other about something and had begun to silently smack and bicker with one another silently. Pressing her palm down on the mattress she added, "Look at you! You think you've got it so damn hard! Well, you hate being alone, so let people in. Sure you don't answer your phone, but I don't see you throwing it away either!"

Cloud was struck with speechlessness. He never ceased to forget how well Tifa actually knew him. No matter how he tried to hide his feelings, she could always see right through him, and now it was as if she could see into his very thoughts. Reno exhaled, bringing his arm down from slapping Rude during their quiet bickering, and Cloud looked at him as the two Turks began to leave the room.

"You go to the Forgotten City, yo," said Reno with his back to Cloud and Tifa. "We'll get you that helicopter and take you, _if_ we don't get shot down by Imperials." The door closed behind them and Tifa looked to Cloud with sad brown eyes.

"Which is it, Cloud?" she asked. "A memory or us?" Cloud wasn't looking at her, but her question reminded him of his most regretted failure.

"But…we just let her die," he responded, looking distant and detached from the world.

Tifa sighed. "Really, always drifting from the subject…Hey, why don't you just forgive yourself for that?" Cloud stood up. Before he could even think about forgiving himself, he had to be forgiven by another.

* * *

The children had gathered near a lake. Yes, Denzel had been fascinated by the abandoned city, with it's white luminous trees and buildings shaped like giant conch shells, but his amazement did not conceal the nervousness that he felt; the uncertainty towards the three silver-haired individuals that led them to the strange place, claiming to hold the cure for Geostigma.

The children and orphans were whispering amongst themselves. Rumors went around, speaking of how the abandoned city was once populated by the Ancients, a race that was known to exist thousands of years ago. Denzel was worried.

It wasn't that he didn't want the cure; on the contrary, he wanted it more than anything else in the world, but the journey to the City of the Ancients had been fuzzy to his memory. He remembered a man, a man with long silver hair wearing black, claiming that he and his brothers had the cure. Then Denzel remembered Marlene, reluctant to come with him.

There was darkness for a while, and Denzel could not remember if it was because he had been asleep, of if it was his Geostigma that made him lose consciousness. He remembered riding in a truck, seated with many other children, and then a boat. He was worried, worried because he did not know if Marlene had come with him. Where was Tifa? He remembered seeing her once, but that had also been fuzzy. All he could remember was seeing an expression of pain and desperation on his adopted mother's face. Was she all right?

And there were so many children! Children from all parts of the world, even from the isolated Wutaian continent. Denzel hadn't realized until then how far Geostigma had actually spread. He felt foolish and ashamed, thinking once that only Midgarian children suffered. The whole world suffered, and no one could help them.

No, that was not true. The men who brought them here, they said they could help. Denzel looked across the lake to the other end where a shell house stood. In front of it were three silver haired men, the shortest and youngest of them standing in the middle. They could have been triplets, if not for the different hairstyles each of them sported. The man in the middle wore black leather like the other two, but his hair was chin length, his bangs covering one side of his face, revealing only his left eye.

The man standing to his right side was the one Denzel remembered claiming to have the cure. His silver hair fell to his waist, and a gun was holstered on his right side. Of the three, his face held the least amount of expression.

The one on the left was the tallest and very well built. His hair was short and spiked. Unlike his two companions, both of whom seemed to be the epitome of patience, this man shifted from one leg to another constantly, suggesting that he was impatient and bored. Denzel's eyes widened in surprise as he found the man holding Marlene in place next to him. The six-year-old girl shifted uncomfortably, and her eyes locked onto Denzel's for only a moment, or at least he thought they did. It was hard to tell from across the large crystal clear lake in the darkness of the night, even with the help of the glowing trees and the bright full moon.

"Just who are those guys anyway?" Denzel asked no one in particular. If they were going to hurt Marlene in any way…

"They call themselves the Children of Jenova, from what I heard," said the voice of a girl. Denzel glanced next to him. A girl with brown hair in two short pigtails stared at him, holding a white stuffed toy close to her. Upon further inspection, Denzel found it to be a moogle, a popular cartoon character with a bright red nose and an antenna sticking up from the top of its head.

The girl pointed across the lake to the man in the middle. "That's Kadaj, I think." Pointing to the longhaired one she said, "Yazoo," and then for the spike-haired man she named, "Loz."

Denzel nodded. Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz. Something about the three of them did not sit well with him. If they really did want to cure the children, then why did Denzel feel a sort of coldness coming from them, a different intent? He became even more worried once the one known as Kadaj raised his arms up in the air. The children silenced their murmuring and whispering, all focusing on Kadaj.

"I've received a special power from Mother," Kadaj announced, his young and smooth voice echoing across the forest, "the power to fight… against a planet that torments humanity."

Murmurs started to fill Denzel's ears as the children began to cast doubtful looks at one another. Denzel was sure he was thinking they same thing they all were. How could the planet hurt people? What did this even have to do with the cure for Geostigma?

Kadaj spoke again, apparently unaffected by his audience's doubts. "Actually," he said, his voice now very confident, "you all have this power." Chuckling at their confused and astonished faces, Kadaj added, "That's right. We're _all_ siblings!" Nearly raving, Kadaj turned his back to them, raising his arms up to the sky as if asking something from the heavens. "We are _chosen_ siblings who inherited the cells of Mother that were absorbed into the Lifestream." He lowered his arms. "But…"

Kadaj faced the children once again, a bestial rage on his facial features. Louder, as if fueled by some manic passion he exclaimed, "The planet doesn't approve of that at all! Don't you see? It's trying to stunt our growth!" Pointing at each of the children in turn he spoke quickly, "_That_ is why our bodies hurt and our hearts seem to give up! As long as the planet continues to rule over our destinies, we will never live in peace!"

His words seemed to strike a reverberating chord amongst the orphans. Denzel lowered his gaze, as did many of the others. Was Kadaj right? Was it really the planet that was against them? Did it create the disease that was Geostigma just to wipe them out? Tifa had told him once that the giant monsters known as the WEAPON's were unleashed two years ago by the planet itself so they could destroy all that was deemed harmful to the world. This included the deaths of many human beings.

Denzel felt his eyes burn with tears of anger. Clenching his small, bandaged fists he thought, _but we're not harmful to the planet! We're just kids!_ He turned his attention back to Kadaj, wanting to hear more. He _hated_ the planet.

Kadaj seemed to notice their expressions of anger, fear and pain, for he looked onto them with an understanding smile. "You need not worry, brethren. I'll cure you." Denzel blinked twice. Something bright and green seemed to emanate off of Kadaj, or was it just his imagination?

No, it wasn't. It was made clear as Kadaj spoke again, his arms held out in front of him. A massive amount of energy radiated off of him, bright green and clearly visible. The power made Denzel shudder. He could barely even begin to imagine what Kadaj could do with something like that, and Kadaj said the children had it as well?

"Then we can all go to Mother together," Kadaj suggested, sounding eager and excited, as if he could barely contain the energy he was about to release. "We'll bring our family's power together and strike back at the planet!"

With his last exclamation, Kadaj thrust his arms upwards towards the sky, and with it went the energy he had been containing in a spiraling tower of pale green and white light. Denzel stared at it, transfixed by the amount of power Kadaj possessed. If he and the other children had that power as well, then surely they could cure Geostigma.

Behind Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz seemed unfazed by their brother's display. However, Marlene cowered behind Loz' form, looking fearful. Denzel was confused. Why was Marlene afraid? Did she not hear Kadaj's words? Their power would cure them!

Kadaj lowered his arms and the energy dispersed into thin air. Taking one step forward, the soles of his boots touched the wet shore of the lake. "Just follow my lead."

He then took one unfaltering step forward into the lake, apparently unbothered with submerging his boots, sheathed sword, and leather ensemble in the water. As he walked further into the lake, stopping only when the water was waist high, an inky blackness filled the clear waters and spread throughout the lake, covering it in darkness. Denzel wondered how it was that Kadaj was doing this, for it frightened him a little. Was the water being contaminated?

Then Kadaj did something completely unexpected: reaching into the black water, he cupped his hands and raised them to his mouth, swallowing the ink water with ease and then sighing in refreshment. Denzel and the other orphans looked to one another in hesitation and confusion. He wanted them to drink _that_?

"Come on," said the girl next to Denzel with the pig tails, holding the stuffed moogle toy. "That's the cure." She stepped forward into the water, and other children did as well. Denzel hesitated, meeting Marlene's frightened gaze once again. She looked pleadingly at him, as if begging him to not to drink the black water. Denzel frowned. Did she not want him to be cured?

Denzel stepped forward into the water with the other children. From across the lake, Marlene pleaded, "Denzel," but Loz held her back from going to him. Glancing at her for one last time, Denzel cupped his hands and scooped the black water to his lips.

"Denzel!" Marlene cried. "No!!" He did not heed her as he allowed the black substance to flow down his throat, and he did not notice Kadaj's maniacal grin as Denzel slipped into a state of mind that was not his own.

Denzel had his eyes closed for a moment. Everything was suddenly so clear. His purpose for being alive, it was to do what Mother asked. Yes…Mother. He had never really been without one, and neither had the other orphans. It was the traitors that took Mother away from them, and now they would find where the traitors had hidden her. They would destroy the traitors.

When Denzel opened his eyes, they were no longer blue.

* * *

The stormtroopers didn't talk much. And Darth Vader was as sociable as the rock face of a cliff. The only person who did talk to Isis as they rode the Imperial shuttle to the Northern Crater was the Shin-Ra General, Naomi, as she called herself, but the conversations would not last long. There was something about Isis that unsettled Naomi, and it was plainly obvious.

_It's because of that damn Sephiroth_, thought Isis as she leaned against her high-backed seat, staring at the passing scenery through the viewport. _There are plenty of people who look like Rufus Shinra, and you don't see them being kidnapped by evil aliens and treated like some kind of feared villain._

It was dark outside, as night had fallen in their current time zone, but Isis could clearly see the passing landscapes. For a while she had watched only a flat ocean, but now there were tall mountains, covered entirely in snow. Earlier, she and Naomi had been handed thick black jackets and matching snow pants to wear, while the stormtroopers had boarded the shuttles wearing different armor. While still white in color, the helmets and gear had been designed differently, to fit the cold weather. From what Isis had learned, their backpacks and armor insulated enough heat to survive up to two weeks in a drastic climate like the Northern Crater's. Isis found it odd that Vader was the only one who wasn't given any special equipment.

"We are coming up on the Northern Crater," announced the young and confident co-pilot she had seen earlier. "Estimated time of arrival is thirteen standard minutes."

Orders and commands were passed about, but Isis paid no attention to them. A strange feeling came over her, a sensation that made the back of her brain throb slightly. Something told her that something was happening elsewhere, and she didn't like it. It made her feel anxious.

Isis glanced around the ship. Naomi was staring ahead with an emotionless expression. The way the older woman tightly gripped the side of the seat made it seem that she was not looking forward to the mission – or she just didn't like flying.

"If you don't mind me asking," Isis spoke, "just _why_ are you looking for Sephiroth?"

"That is not your concern," Vader replied without even looking at her. Isis huffed in annoyance and felt very tempted to kick the back of his chair.

Naomi gave her a warning look, obviously seeing Isis' irritation. Isis frowned in the other woman's direction but then sighed, getting the message Naomi was trying to convey. Sure, she would calm down, for now.

_Nice to know she cares,_ Isis thought. The first impression she received from Naomi Posada was one of slight dislike towards Isis, but then again Isis got that impression from a lot of people. It could have easily been caution that Naomi was showing towards her too.

Then suddenly Naomi hissed, drawing in a sharp breath. Isis shivered involuntarily and hugged herself. She wasn't cold, but there was an indescribable feeling that gripped her and held her in its grasp. Through the main viewport she could see the immensely tall and snow-covered cliff that surrounded a massive crater almost the as wide as Midgar in diameter. Rising from the apparently bottomless darkness of the crater was a cloud of mist. Though she and Naomi had become plainly uncomfortable, Vader sat strangely still. Even the other Imperials had become a little nervous.

"You sense it as well," said Vader, still not looking at them, but it was clear that he was addressing both Isis and Naomi. It was more of a sure statement than a question.

"That's how it always is when I come here," Naomi replied stiffly as she leaned back and glared at the sight through the viewport. As the shuttle passed through the mist, it shook slightly in turbulence.

"Milord!" exclaimed the young co-pilot. "Our communications have failed! I can't get into contact with the other squads, or the _Devastator_."

Isis tightened her grip over the arms of the chair as she felt Vader's silent anger rise considerably. She was quietly hoping that the young pilot would not be killed anytime soon.

"That's nothing new," Naomi calmly answered. "There's a massive amount of Mako energy inside the crater and it interferes with a lot of things." Vader was looking at her now when she said, "It's a Dead Zone."

"She's right my Lord," replied the co-pilot, looking over a different panel on the controls. "The energy readout shows an off-the-chart amount under the crater."

"Then this is it," said Vader. "This is where all of the energies of the Force are gathered."

"The Force?" Isis echoed him, giving a confused glance at Naomi who shrugged back in return. "What's that?"

"The living Force," he replied, with no intentions of truly answering her question. "It is all gathered here but…" now he was talking more to himself, "the dark side rests within the crater as well."

Naomi frowned. She didn't like the sound of that, but apparently Vader wasn't bothered. "You should have them lower us into the crater, "she suggested. "I can't guarantee that there'll be a stable place to land."

"Just how deep is that thing?" Isis asked.

"Some say it goes to the center of the earth," Naomi said, "but I doubt it. It's just deep enough for us to see the Lifestream."

"Oh," came Isis reply.

"Lifestream," Vader repeated and Naomi nodded, who was more than happy in refraining from explanation as well.

Orders were sent, and soon enough the Imperial shuttle _Tydirium_ was abuzz with the snowtroopers getting their gear and weapons ready, and the cockpit was a frenzy with the few Imperial officers informing Vader of the readouts they were receiving of the topography of the area. Naomi had pulled a long ammunition belt out of her travel sack and clipped it around her waist. The General's materia was safe in place inside the slots of her firearms.

Before either of them realized it, the shuttle was slowly lowered into the dark crater.

An hour and a half later, more than fifty snowtroopers had been safely lowered onto a massive rock platform deep inside the crater. Isis was not sure how deep they were, but when the harness latched onto her lowered her down, she noticed that she could not get a clear view of the surface, and the crater sill seemed bottomless.

The soles of her boots touched the ground and when she unfastened herself from the harness, she felt all eyes on her, particularly from the snowtroopers. Isis frowned, feeling irritated from all the attention, but then her gaze found the bright blue eyes of Naomi, glowing luminously in the darkness of the crater. Most of the attention was on Naomi as well, and Isis understood that it was because of the Mako in their eyes.

_Nice to know they see us as light sources rather than human beings,_ Isis thought shrewdly, and as if on cue, several blue glow sticks were cracked, illuminating the entire rock platform. Above them, the monotonous and loud humming that had resonated in her ears became distant, as the shuttle rose out of the crater and away from the area. Isis stared up, appalled.

"Oi!" she shouted, "just where are they going!? They can't just leave us here!"

"Because of the Dead Zone," a snowtrooper explained, "we'll be using a specialized sonar-based frequency that the shuttle's sensor relays will be able to pick up when we relay the emergency code. It's dangerous for the shuttle to remain in such an unstable area."

Isis nodded, but she still felt unsure. The sound of Vader's breathing echoed against the walls, and as Isis took a look at her immediate surroundings, she found a narrow opening that led off into a dark tunnel.

"A lot of things have changed here since Meteor," Naomi informed before Vader could ask, "so some of the old tunnels are bound to be blocked off, but I think I can still take you through the main path that'll lead us safely to the bottom of the crater."

"Yeah, safely," Isis said with a snort. "That's if we don't get devoured by any monsters."

"With the crater this unstable, monsters will be the least of our worries," Naomi answered coolly. Swinging her backpack behind her, she began to walk off into the tunnel, raising her glow rod. "Come on."

Isis hesitated, but then she felt something invisible push her roughly along. Ducking her head slightly to enter the passage, she glared back at Vader, who was directly behind her. Behind him, the squad of snowtroopers followed, marching in perfect precision with their glow rods clipped to their utility belts so that they could hold their blasters without difficulty. The tunnel was easily illuminated in a blue hue, and Isis had no trouble seeing ahead.

After at least fifteen minutes of walking in a downward slope, the tunnel split into four separate passages, one of which had been entirely caved in by rock. At this point the ceiling had become so low that Isis was ducking her head constantly. Looking back at Vader she managed to keep herself from laughing. The towering Sith Lord had to hunch in the cave, and at any moment she had expected him to start walking on his knees.

"Damn," Naomi muttered as she stood before the separate entrances. Turning to them she called out, her voice echoing softly against the walls, "One of the main passages has collapsed." She pointed out the blocked off tunnel. "The ceiling used to be higher too. There's no telling what this crater will do anymore. The other tunnels might be in the same condition, or new ones might've been created. I think we should split up and check out the other ones."

Vader turned and signaled the troops, and then they began to form small, organized groups amongst themselves. As Isis stood and watched the process, a shiver went down her spine, and the back part of her brain began to throb again. For a reason she could not explain, she felt that someone was calling to her.

"If any of you find anything," Naomi said, "report back here immediately. It won't do us any good for you to get lost."

"Yes, General," several of the stormtroopers replied before departing down one of the three passages. Naomi's face looked stunned.

"Don't act so surprised," Vader spoke, diverting Naomi's attention to him. "Your services now belong to the Empire, and as a General you are their superior officer."

"Yeah," Naomi replied in a hollowed voice as she attached her glow rod to her belt and pulled out her two guns. "Listen, I'm gonna go ahead and take my portion of the squad this way." She indicated the right most passage by pointing with her gun. "I'll be right back. Maybe you two should check out the last one."

The group of snowtroopers followed her and before Isis could protest (she certainly did not want to travel with Vader), she was alone with Vader and the rest of the 501st. The Dark Lord walked forward, his knees bent slightly and his head bowed to prevent himself from hitting the ceiling. A terrible thought occurred to her suddenly.

"Wait," Isis said, causing the snowtroopers and Vader to stop and look at her. "What if…what if she's leading us into a trap? She's the only one here who knows anything about this place, and she obviously has no love for your Empire."

"You sense deception?" Vader questioned her, and Isis nearly winced from the scrutinizing gaze that seemed to come from his emotionless black mask.

"I-I dunno," she honestly answered, "but don't you think she might plan something now that she knows she can command these guys? Do _you_ sense any deception from her?"

"No," Vader flatly answered, "but the 501st belongs to _me_. If she does lead us into a trap then she will be dealt with. The Empire does not look kindly on traitors, and least of all do I." Vader swiftly turned, his cape billowing behind him, leaving Isis with a lump stuck in her throat.

She gulped before following him though the middle passage. _I hope she doesn't double-cross these guys then,_ Isis thought worriedly. The last thing she wanted to see was Naomi's life brutally choked out of her.

**Author's Note:** A note about the three original members of AVALANCHE, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie. Don't confuse yourselves over Biggs and Wedge, they are very different characters from the Biggs and Wedge in Star Wars. I noticed that through the course of Final Fantasy, there are two NPC's named Biggs and Wedge in every installment. I'm not sure why Square includes them in every game, but I think it's some kind of tribute to Star Wars. Perhaps Final Fantasy was influenced in some ways by Lucas' works? (shrugs) Maybe.


	12. Shadow Hunt

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. The only characters that I can claim are General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and any other original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Eleven: Shadow Hunt**

The hum of the motorcycle's engine barely registered in Cloud's ears as his luminous eyes scanned the path in front of him. The brilliant glowing trees of the Sleeping Forest appeared to be nothing more than speedy blurs as Cloud scanned the area for any sign of the children.

It had been by some miracle that the Empire had not stopped the helicopter Reno had provided him with to the Icicle Continent. The red haired Turk was successful in convincing their invaders that he was bringing supplies to the convergence of ships that had settled over the snow regions of the Northern Crater, so when Reno dropped Cloud off on the vegetated southern tip of the continent, he had to quickly leave towards the north to keep the Imperials out of suspicion.

_I suppose it does help to have the Turks working for the Empire,_ Cloud thought off-handedly, but he was still bothered by the news of the Imperials searching the Northern Crater. _What could they possibly want there?_ he wondered, the possibility of materia crossing his mind. His feelings over the matter worsened as he realized, _Rufus said there was nothing there when he last investigated!_ Had the late President Shinra lied to him?

The hairs on the back of Cloud's neck stood up in apprehension, not just from the obvious danger that he was riding towards, but from the feeling of eminent evil that he received at the thought of Darth Vader poking around in the place where Sephiroth himself had resided for five years, infecting the Lifestream with malcontent. For only a fleeting moment, it was as if Cloud wasn't imagining the situation at all; he could almost actually _see_ Vader and his stormtroopers in the many tunnels of the Northern Crater.

The moment passed, and Cloud shuddered, tightening his grip over the handlebars of the sleek motorbike. Trepidation filled him with his next realization. _No! They can't be looking for-,_

His thought was left unfinished as a sudden warmth overtook him. The usual throbbing on his left arm lessened, the pain from Geostigma relieved for the first time since he had acquired the disease, which felt like lifetimes ago.

_**Don't worry.**_

Cloud gasped, and then suddenly he felt his feet stumble forward. His _feet_. There were no sounds, not even that of his motorcycle's. Before he could even ponder what had happened to it, his immediate surroundings became enveloped in a bright white light. Cloud straightened, his eyes looking to the floor, now covered in an endless plain of healthy grass and fresh flowers – white and yellow, like the flowers in the church.

"_You came,"_ echoed the soft and caring voice of a female; a female he had thought was gone forever. Cloud was sure his heart had stopped then.

His blue eyes widened. _I'm dreaming,_ he thought, until he felt a gentle and very tangible hand on his left arm. More of the relieving warmth spread through his aching muscles and bones. Cloud stood stock-still, afraid that if he were to look back, the dream would disappear.

"_You came even though you're about to break." _The dream's hand gave his arm a reassuring squeeze, sending more of the refreshing energy through it. _"I'm sure this will be a good thing."_

Cloud's surprise was then outweighed by the guilt that filled his insides. It was his fault that she was no longer with them, and he wanted nothing more than to turn around and hold her in his arms, never allowing anyone to harm her and take her away again, but his fear of losing her even in this surreal dream world kept him in place. Would she even forgive him?

"_Question!"_ she suddenly called out, almost, song-like. _"Why exactly did you come here?"_

His answer would have been that he had come to rescue the children, but he knew that was not true. Yes, he had come for the children, but he knew he would not be able to succeed unless the guilt upon his shoulders was lifted.

"I…" Cloud hesitated before he answered her question. "I think I want to be forgiven. Yes," he confirmed with a nod. "More than anything."

She laughed, her pleasant giggles drifting off in soft echoes into the eternal whiteness. Cloud sensed it as she shook her head slightly, and could even feel her long soft hair brush the back of his neck, as if she were actually standing behind him. _But isn't she?_ Cloud asked himself.

"_Forgiven by whom, Cloud?"_ she questioned, her voice betraying a hint of amusement.

Cloud furrowed his eyebrows and then swiftly turned his head to look at her, only to find that she had disappeared, along with the white realm; replaced by the rapidly moving trees of the Sleeping Forest. He was on his motorbike again, and had to quickly turn his head back to the road to keep himself from losing control. Had it all been a dream after all?

Two gunshots blasted, sending bullets whizzing past Cloud's ears. Cloud gritted his teeth as he stared down the road, where at the end of it three silver haired individuals stood. The two shooting at him he recognized from earlier in the day, when Darth Vader and the Galactic Empire had first arrived on the planet. The one in the middle however, stood still, staring at Cloud with an expression of pure malice…

As the motorcycle neared, Kadaj unsheathed his two-bladed sword as Loz and Yazoo continued to fire at Cloud, Unable to continue swerving out of their line of fire, Cloud pressed a switch on the hull of _Fenrir_, causing the motorbike to open up on both sides, revealing two hidden compartments, each holding three different swords. Cloud pulled out one of the thicker ones, and while effectively driving the bike with one hand, he reflexively blocked the next few gunshots with the thick steel.

Yazoo stopped shooting for only a split second as he felt his arm begin to cool with energy. His firing arm began to glow and Cloud's eyes widened as he saw the materia though the man's arm. The other two had materia as well, and Cloud gritted his teeth. It was _his_ materia.

_Deathblow,_ Cloud realized, _that's what he's going for._ Eyeing the one yellow materia in Yazoo's arm, Cloud accelerated. If the silver haired man shot the gun with the Deathblow materia, it would be powerful enough to make Cloud's bike explode upon impact. _If that's the case, I'll make sure to take them to Hell with me!_

Standing in between Yazoo and Loz, Kadaj gently lowered Yazoo's firing arm. "Wait, I have a better idea." Yazoo gave him a confused glance, but did as Kadaj suggested. Loz lowered his weapon as well, and then Kadaj began to walk forward, his two-bladed sword in hand. Cloud held his massive sword in a ready position, hoping to just slice Kadaj from the motorcycle, but then gasped as Kadaj waved and a numerous amount of figures leapt down to the ground from the trees.

"Damn!" Cloud muttered. It was the children, and they had all leapt in the middle of the road, blocking his path. The children in the front he immediately recognized; Denzel and Marlene. With only a second to spare before hitting them, Cloud swerved sharply to the left – too sharp. With a yell he tumbled off the bike as it continued to slide forward on its side towards Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz. Kadaj gracefully jumped over it, and unbelievably, Loz abruptly stopped the moving bike with his booted foot.

Groaning, Cloud raised himself up on his arms, sparing a glance at the children. Denzel stood in front of him with a dazed and zombified look to his face, holding Marlene's hand. She on the other hand, struggled to pull herself away from the boy. Of all of the children, Marlene seemed to be the only one who was consciously aware of what was going on.

Cloud picked up his sword, only to feel a hard steel-toed boot kick him painfully in the gut. There was a clash of metal, and Cloud's sword flew from out of his grasp. Standing on one knee, Cloud opened his eyes. Two blades of the same length standing two inches apart were pointed at his neck.

_A sword with two blades on one side?_ Cloud questioned before looking up at his attacker. Chin-length platinum hair obscured Kadaj's right eye while the other eye held an excited and childish gleam. He was young, Cloud noticed, possibly no older than sixteen, while his companions looked to be in their mid-twenties.

"I'm glad you could make it!" exclaimed Kadaj. With an ill-mannered tone he said, "Welcome back, Brother. I'm Kadaj, incase you didn't know already."

"I'm here for the kids," Cloud said quickly, cutting Kadaj off before he could introduce the other two.

Kadaj swiftly turned away from him and walked hurriedly towards the children while keeping the double sword pointed at Cloud. "You see this man? He's our Big Brother…but alas, in our happy flock…" he pressed the edge of the two blades near Cloud's throat, "he's what'd you call a black sheep." With pure hatred in his glowing eyes he added, "He sided with the humans and murdered Mother's first son! The Great Sephiroth. He's gone and because of that we can't reunite with Mother and become normal again, unless our dear brother here tells us where she is."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about!" Cloud spat.

"Then you're useless I suppose," Kadaj answered with an airy laugh. He raised his sword and then-,

"Cloud!" Marlene screamed fearfully. Just midway from bringing his sword down upon Cloud's neck, Kadaj turned to Marlene with a growl. It was just the distraction Cloud needed.

He fell back and rolled away from Kadaj, picking up his discarded sword as he got to his feet. Loz had been waiting for him and jabbed Cloud in the chest with a burst of electric energy from the two-pronged gauntlet on his arm. As Cloud had flipped backwards and landed on his feet, he felt his cell phone slip from his pocket and land with a splash in a small pool of water nearby. Cloud held his sword in a defensive position as Loz came running at him, his body glowing with the energy he was building up.

"I hope you like this one," Loz taunted, "it's from _your_ Time materia!"

The air directly behind Loz erupted into an array of clear after images, left behind by a Loz that was now moving ten times faster than before. Cloud let his instincts take over and slashed to the left but missed – slashed to the right, but missed – until Loz had struck from him behind before Cloud could even register Loz's last move.

He fell forward. Cloud stuck the tip of his giant sword into the ground and used his own momentum to flip over his leverage, bringing the sword out of the ground as his feet touched it. Once again he found himself blocking gunfire.

Yazoo was still shooting at him when Cloud slashed downward with all of his might. The power he was building up from all of the anger and frustration Kadaj and his brothers had caused him was released into the ground, zooming towards his foe while leaving a shallow fault of dirt in its wake. Yazoo jumped – still shooting – and allowed the force to demolish the nearest tree.

Cloud jumped away in time before Loz could attack him from behind. From the ground, Kadaj stared at him malevolently, and as Cloud landed in front of him, the blond swordsman was met with an onslaught of rapid and vicious sword attacks that he could barely defend himself against. Kadaj was extremely fast, nearly more so than that of Loz using the Haste spell from Cloud's Time materia.

Kadaj whacked at Cloud's sword, and the blond mercenary stumbled back from Kadaj's sudden display of strength, landing on one knee. Kadaj was once again readying himself for a killing blow…

A bullet pierced the air.

"Watch it, Yazoo!" Kadaj shouted angrily as he jumped away from the shot.

Yazoo stood a ways from him, pointing his gun at the surrounding trees. "It wasn't me!" Before Kadaj could even ponder the possibility of an ambush, he was dodging more bullets.

Then, the shots stopped. Cloud looked up to the trees as a flash of red crossed his vision. Standing erectly on one of the branches was a caped figure shrouded in crimson. The familiar dark aura that emanated off of the enigma sent a momentary shiver down Cloud's spine, but he had never felt more relieved.

The figure leapt gracefully off the tree, his tattered cape flowing behind him. All Kadaj could see was the red shroud of the figure's cape as it enveloped Cloud like a barrier, acting as a separate entity on it's own. With both Cloud and the figure obscured, the shroud released more bullets, and Kadaj could barely block them as the shroud rose and disappeared into the treetops, taking Cloud and his mysterious savior with it.

Kadaj stared at the empty trees and cursed. The blood red shroud was gone from sight. "Kadaj!" Loz suddenly shouted excitedly. "I think I found it!"

Kadaj turned and found Loz hunching over Cloud's motorcycle as it lay on its side. When Kadaj approached him, Loz produced a small metallic box from the travel bag attached the motorcycle. Kadaj excitement increased when the label reading 'Property of Shin-Ra Electric Power Company' caught his eye.

"Let me see!" Kadaj exclaimed, literally snatching the box from his brother's hands. "I knew it! He was hiding Mother all along!" Frantically he popped the lid of the box open and looked inside.

The box was completely empty.

Enraged, Kadaj threw the box to the ground. "NO!" He clenched his gloves fists. "This is Rufus' doing, I know it! He knew all along where Mother was!"

"Perhaps Cloud knows?" Yazoo suggested.

Kadaj shook his head, contemplative. "No…I don't think he knew anything at all. Rufus must've conned him into delivering that empty box to trick us. We'll just have to ask him…"

"But Rufus Shinra is dead," Yazoo pointed out.

Kadaj grinned. "No matter. Let's go to Midgar. I know just the person to talk to."

* * *

The Sleeping Forest was calm. The gunfire that had exploded before was ringing faintly in Cloud's ears as the sounds of running water and night owls did their best to soothe him. Cloud sat with his back against one of the glowing trees close to a clear riverbank, rubbing his Geostigma-infested arm. Standing close by another tree with his foot propped against the bark was Cloud's dark rescuer; his arms crossed over his chest in brooding.

"See? I'd knew I'd be of no help." Cloud quietly scolded himself. Looking up at the crimson-garbed man he asked, "Vincent, just what the hell is happening around here?"

The man known as Vincent Valentine looked up from his piercing gaze at the ground, his glowing red eyes greatly contrasting with his pale face and long black hair. "I come here often." Pushing off the tree with his foot he tossed his tattered cape over his shoulder and made his way calmly towards Cloud. "I've seen what Kadaj's group is doing."

"Oh," Cloud replied, looking back at his sleeved left arm. A metal-clawed hand squeezed the same arm painfully and he winced, looking up at Vincent's penetrating stare.

"Geostigma," said Vincent as he held Cloud's arm, "it's a symptom of alien matter infesting the body. The body tries to eliminate it and overcompensates." Letting go of Cloud's arm, Vincent slowly made his way to the edge of the riverbank. "Inside our bodies is a current like the Lifestream. That current is what fights off any malevolent intruders."

Cloud's yellow eyebrows knitted together in confusion and worry. "What do you mean by intruder?"

Vincent sent him a hard and knowing stare. "The Sephiroth gene…Jenova's cells…call it what you want. Seven years ago Jenova's cells were forcibly injected into your DNA, and although Sephiroth was able to take advantage of that back then, your body is finally starting to reject that which you weren't born with."

"You're well informed," Cloud answered, only mildly surprised. Among all of those in AVALANCHE, Vincent often held the most information pertaining to anything regarding Jenova or Sephiroth.

"Grand Moff Tarkin and his stormtroopers," Vincent changed the subject. "They're not just here to take over our government and resources. Their leaders, the ones they call Vader and the Emperor…they're searching for Sephiroth, and they'll resort to any method to get the information they want. The Imperials have even resorted to methods of torture on those they interrogate."

A chill swept over Cloud at the possibility that Vader could have tortured him into talking as well. "Torture?" he gulped. Cloud remembered how Vader had somehow begun to choke his throat with his mind.

"You reap what you sow," Vincent answered immediately. "To make matters worse, it seems that Kadaj's gang has come into possession of Jenova's head."

"So that was what was _really_ in that box," Cloud replied with a nod. _But why would Reno just let me take it to the City of the Ancients when he knew full well that Kadaj could probably get his hands on it?_ "Which means that the Mother Kadaj's gang is searching for is…!"

Vincent nodded. "Heaven's dark harbinger. The Calamity: Jenova." Gravely, he added, "If they wanted to, they could even recreate Sephiroth. It would not be long before the Empire learns that bit of information."

_No_, Cloud thought, _it wouldn't._ He just hoped that his hunch about Vader being in the Northern Crater was correct. With Vader busy fighting the monsters there, Cloud could buy time to do something about Kadaj before Vader realized that Sephiroth could be re-created.

"Kadaj…" Cloud murmured apprehensively. "What is he?"

Vincent folded his arms over his chest. "Hmph. I'd rather not know."

Cloud sighed. Just what in the Cetra's name was he going to do now? He was in no way strong enough to defeat Kadaj, as proven by the recent battle. If he could somehow reason with Vader - convince him that Sephiroth's power would do more harm to the Empire than good…

The bushes rustled next to him and Cloud stood up, raising his sword while Vincent pulled out his three-barreled gun. To his surprise it was Marlene who came running out, panting as she ran into Cloud and circled her small arms around his waist and buried her face in his side.

"Marlene!" Cloud exclaimed, lowering his sword. "You escaped?"

Marlene's eyes were wide with panic as she looked up at him. "Cloud! Denzel and Tifa, they…!"

"Tifa is all right," Cloud confirmed calmly for her.

"I want to talk to Tifa!" she pleaded and Cloud searched his pockets for his phone, remembering then that he had lost it in the battle. Marlene looked to Vincent. "May I?" Vincent took the edge of his cape and held it up, revealing only black clothes underneath and no sign of a mobile phone. "You don't have a phone?" Marlene cried, thoroughly surprised.

"Vincent," said Cloud, "can you take Marlene to Tifa? I'm going to talk to Vader about this."

Vincent shook his head. "I can't approve."

"But-!" replied Cloud and then Marlene roughly pushed herself away from him.

"Forget it, Cloud!" she harshly shouted. "Why won't you just listen to anything that we're saying!?" Sniffing, she ran away from him and into Vincent, who concealed the girl with his cape from view.

Guilt seeped into Cloud. Softly, he said, "Marlene, please, give me some time. There's a battle to be fought, but it's not as simple as just fighting it? You understand?"

"No, I don't!" the girl replied stubbornly from under Vincent's cape.

"Cloud," said Vincent, "are you sure this is about fighting?"

Cloud was silent. It was _always_ about fighting. First the Wutai War long ago, then Shin-Ra, and then of course Sephiroth. Fighting was what got Aerith murdered - murdered by Sephiroth. Now the Empire was fighting them and Kadaj wanted to recreate Sephiroth. He could not keep fighting if it didn't mean atoning for his sins; his sin of allowing Sephiroth to kill her.

"_Hey, why don't you just forgive yourself for that,"_ he remembered Tifa say to him.

Cloud stared questioningly at Vincent. If there was anyone who knew most about sin, it was the man standing before him with the dark aura about him. "Can sin be forgiven?"

For a moment, Vincent actually looked stunned. "…I've never tried it."

"Tried it?" Cloud replied, and then repeated, "Never tried." Suddenly, he felt determined, and it showed on his face. "Marlene, we're going home!" She revealed herself from Vincent's cape, smiling adorably. Taking Marlene gently by the hand, he began to walk down the trail that would lead him out of the forest. "Well I'm gonna try," he said with a casual wave to Vincent. "I'll phone in the verdict."

* * *

The phone fell slowly towards the bottom of the pool, open and still functioning, but that would not last long for the electronic device. The water had already begun to short circuit some of its inner workings, and through the thick water, a muffled voice could be heard.

"_It's me, Reeve,"_ said an educated male voice as the phone played back Cloud's missed voice messages. _"I saw your flyer. How in the world do you stay in business?" _The man laughed._ "You haven't changed, Cloud. If it's all right with you, I'd like to help, but I'll call back another time."_

Another voice came from the phone, this time from an anxious and excited female. _"Surprise! Long time no see! It's me, Yuffie! Hey, what's with all these alien people and why have all the kids in Wutai disappeared? Do you know anything? Give me some info, please!"_

With the last voice mail, the phone fell with a soft thud to the rock bottom of the pool, and then finally, shut off.

**_You know, I've never really blamed you. Not once. Though, you did come for me, didn't you Cloud? That's plenty of proof right there_**.

* * *

_He's going to forgive himself for his sins… a considerable idea, but it's simple enough for him. In actuality, Aerith's death was never his doing._

Vincent Valentine walked alone along the paths of the Sleeping Forest, his feet making virtuously no sound as he passed gracefully like a mere shadow amongst the night. His scarlet eyes glared unflinchingly into the depths of the trees for any sign of movement.

All was still, but something did not sit well with him. Vincent flexed his metal-clawed left hand and then pulled out his three-barreled gun, Cerberus, with his other normal hand. His instincts from being a Turk all of those years ago reawakened, and all of his senses – including those other than the main five – were on full alert.

_I need to buy a phone,_ he realized. _Perhaps I'll go to Edge for one._ Of all of the members associated with AVALANCHE, Vincent was sure he was the one person that could not be easily contacted. Wandering and studying the planet for two years, Vincent had never thought about keeping himself in constant contact with Cloud and the others, but now with the new threats taking hold, he saw the logic in keeping some sort of communication device.

His thoughts began to drift. _Cloud… I would truly be impressed if you do manage to forgive yourself for your sins, but unfortunately, I myself cannot try it._ Vincent shook his head, forcing himself to focus on the present. Now was not the time to lose himself in painful memories.

The former Turk stopped. A sound; faint, but it was a sound nonetheless. The average person would not have been able to hear it, but Vincent was far from average. There was a sharp, stabbing pain in his neck, and Vincent was already turning around and firing at the treetops. The sounds of loud jet engines penetrated the peaceful silence of the Sleeping Forest, and red blaster fire was shooting back at him.

Vincent's vision had already begun to blur, but he could see the hazy outline of the armored humanoid figure shooting at him with the jets blasting from under him, allowing Vincent's attacker fly from treetop to treetop.

_Some sort of jet pack?_ Vincent wondered as he rolled away from the line of fire, diving behind a tree for cover. His breathing became labored and his vision worsened. Vincent shook his head vigorously in an attempt to rid himself of the light-headedness that had begun to seep into his brain. Something was exhausting him, but what?

Vincent felt his neck, remembering the stabbing pain he felt there when he first sensed his attacker. He pulled out the foreign dart, studying it for only a moment before throwing it aside. Whether the dart contained a deadly poison or a tranquilizing narcotic, it no longer mattered. His body was used to fighting such substances, so the next dart would more than likely have no effect on him. Reloading his gun, Vincent rolled from behind the cover of the tree, firing at his pursuer on first sight.

_Not bad,_ thought Boba Fett as Vincent Valentine discarded the tranquilizer dart, apparently unaffected by it. _This barve is a lot tougher than they've made him out to be._

Then why, wondered the Mandalorian armored bounty hunter, did the Empire put out such low priority on Valentine, when clearly he could prove to be just as dangerous as Cloud Strife? From what Fett had seen, Valentine was an excellent shot, and his reflexes as honed as the elite ranks of the Empire. When Fett had been sent the priority list, Vincent Valentine had been close to the bottom, so the bounty hunter had planned to capture him and use him as bait to catch the bigger fish; Cloud Strife.

But now Fett was starting to reconsider which of the two bounties he should charge the Empire more for. Fett had watched from the shadows what had occurred between Strife and those three silver haired men – he wondered how much the Empire would pay for them as well – by the lake. Strife was good yes, but while he could barely hold his own against those three, Valentine had managed to elude them while rescuing Strife unscathed.

_I should charge them extra for making me come out here to the Unknown Regions on such short notice,_ Fett thought grudgingly. The Imperials were just lucky he was close to the area.

Valentine had come out and was shooting at him. Boba Fett jumped down from the tree top, looking through the targeting scope of his EE-3 blaster rifle – customized no less – the targeting rangefinder on the side of his helmet lowering in front of his helmet's t-shaped visor. As his jet pack allowed him to hover away from any of Vincent's shots, he carefully aimed for a spot that would disarm his target but not permanently damage him.

_The live ones are worth more than the dead ones. _It was the first rule of being a bounty hunter, a profession which Fett had earned the title of 'most notorious in the galaxy.' Through the targeting rangefinder he was able to see the details and information about Valentine the Empire had provided him with, as well as the price on his head – a mere 1200 credits – and the exact distance between himself and the target. It was difficult. Valentine was extremely agile, and made a good routine of dodging all of Fett's shots by jumping from tree to tree like a skilled acrobat. Fett was not entirely sure if the man was human, despite what the target rangefinder had specified.

_No human can move like that,_ Fett decided as he continued to give chase. Much of the hunt went in that fashion; a dogfight with guns and blaster rifles, one chasing the other at any given time. It was not long before Fett decided that a change in tactics was needed.

Fett ceased his fire on him, and landed on a thick tree branch. From his current altitude he could see the very edge of the forest and the edge of what was called Bone Village. His starship, the _Slave I_, was nowhere near the town, but the internal commlink inside his helmet would allow him to call for the ship if he needed to.

Vincent stopped, landing silently on another tree. Fett stood still as his bounty turned, aiming his weapon in Fett's general direction. Valentine gave off the appearance of a demonic wraith as his red cape billowed with the wind and the bright full moon behind him silhouetted his features and accented the glowing blood orbs that were his eyes.

Vincent Valentine leapt off of the branch, gliding towards Boba Fett as he fired at the bounty hunter. Fett took the shots to the chest; the primitive weapon that Vincent was using was not enough to penetrate the Mandalorian armor at that range. Fett staggered back on the branch from the shots and as he fell he activated his jet pack. Vincent, now on the branch where Fett had been standing before, aimed his weapon at Fett's visor as the bounty hunter hovered upwards towards him.

"Who are you?" Vincent calmly asked. Fett pointed his wrist gauntlet at the man, and out of it shot a long metal cable, flexible enough to wrap around Vincent's body, trapping his arms and disabling him from aiming the weapon any higher than Fett's knees. Fett held onto the end of the cable with his wrist gauntlet and began to fly forward, dragging Vincent with him.

Vincent dropped his gun when the bounty hunter suddenly yanked him from the tree. "Boba Fett," said the armored mercenary in a cold and deadly voice as they flew. "You'll do well to remember it."

Vincent clenched his teeth as his dangling body hit the bark of a tree. Where was this Fett person taking him? They were now heading in a complete opposite direction of Bone Village's location. He growled as Fett carelessly allowed him to smack against another tree. Glaring up at the bounty hunter than held him, Vincent began to feel his anger quickly rising in the unfathomable amounts that he had always feared.

Boba Fett glanced down at his prey, his merchandise. He didn't know what it was, but the bounty hunter got the feeling that something was wrong with his captive. Vincent had tensed considerably and his calm demeanor was gone, replaced with a feral rage as he suddenly began to struggle with the wrist cable. _He could keep trying,_ thought Fett, as he finally landed on the ground and began to drag Vincent across the floor. _There is no way he'll be able to break through that alloy._

An animalistic scream reached the audio receptors of Fett's helmet and he stopped, looking back at his bounty. Vincent was writhing on the ground, clawing at the cable. He pulled at it so suddenly that Fett was thrown to the ground, muttering a curse as he felt the cable detach from his wrist gauntlet. Fett pulled out his blaster rifle and aimed it at Vincent who was now on his feet, struggling with the cable still tied around him. Fett stood and took several steps back, aware of the obvious physical changes that had taken place on Vincent's body. The man was _no_ human.

Flesh tore and bones cracked and expanded, but Boba Fett did not wince from the sounds that most would have found to be disturbing. Something was protruding from Vincent's back and his one flesh hand had developed natural razor sharp claws. Fett aimed the blaster rifle at Vincent's head, but did not fire. If there were any chance for him to preserve his merchandise without killing it, he would take that chance.

Whatever it was that was trying to burst out of Vincent's back did, in a sickening and painful array of bones snapping. Blood red, almost black leathery winds tore through the already tattered cape and began to beat loudly against the air, lifting Vincent's body. He turned towards Fett, glaring at the bounty hunter with eyes that were no longer red, but bright yellow. His face was paler, lined with glowing red veins and his long black hair had been spiked outwards.

Fett did not have time to react. Before he could even pull the firing stud on his blaster rifle, the transformed Vincent had charged towards him and sent Fett flying through the air with just one back hand swipe of his arm. Fett landed hard against a tree and then harder as he fell to the ground. Vincent was on him again, and Fett managed to roll out of the way as Vincent's elongated claws cane swiping down towards him. The bounty hunter hissed as he felt the claws cut cleanly through his leg, but stood up nonetheless, firing his blaster rifle.

The shots seemed to have little effect. Vincent's wings palpitated and he flew away from Fett's fire. After a minute of the same exchange, Fett lowered his blaster, watching Vincent as the monstrous form circled Fett from the air.

_I'll just have to find more suitable bait,_ Fett decided. _I'm not going to risk the possibility of this creature tearing my ship apart._ Vincent flew towards him at an alarming velocity, but Fett stood unmoving. Vincent held his arms and claws outstretched, reaching towards Fett. As he neared the bounty hunter, Boba Fett activated his jet pack and flew up. Vincent stopped and looked up, but instead of seeing Fett, he saw a fiery missile headed straight for him.

Fett did not say to watch the explosion, even as it shook the entire forest. Whether Vincent Valentine had survived the missile launched from Fett's jet pack or not, the bounty hunter returned to the _Slave I_, determined to raise the prices on all of the AVALACNHE members.


	13. A Journey to the Center of the Planet

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. The only characters that I can claim are General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and any other original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Twelve: A Journey to the Center of the Planet**

What was it that kept her walking? Isis pondered this as she followed the shroud of ebony that was Darth Vader's cape through the narrow passage deep in the Northern Crater. The snowtroopers were silent as they followed, the only sounds they made coming from the synchronized march of their booted feet. Isis paid little attention to the walls as they gradually became more luminous with each step that they took in the cave. She could feel the snowtroopers glancing at the cave walls with interest, but in no way were they distracted by the irregularity which nature had caused.

"Mako," said Vader, his deep and intimidating voice echoing throughout the passage. Isis looked up from her thoughtful stupor, replying, "Hmm?"

He did not look at her. "The cave glows because of the Mako." Isis nodded, "Yeah."

Vader stopped and slowly turned to look at the silver haired being who was tall for her age, but not nearly as tall as the Sith Lord himself. "The Force, child. The Force is what makes the Mako exist. I can sense it now," his usually unassailable voice drifted into something else as his helmeted gaze studied the soft green glow of the walls. "Mako is pure Force energy that can be physically seen. How is this possible on your world, but not on any other?"

Isis had tilted her head slightly to the side without realizing it. There was an unfathomable look in her eyes – eyes that matched the color of the walls. She felt…impressed? Surprised? Intrigued? Isis wasn't sure what she felt, but the fact that Vader sounded genuinely confused struck her as an event that was prominently significant, even if she did not know why.

Then she could feel his anger again, in waves. "I asked you a question." She straightened. There it was again, that authority, that power he had over others by instilling fear. Was there any way around it?

As she took the one split second needed to think about the question, she herself became confused. "You mean, there is no Mako on other worlds? Is that even possible?"

"There is," he replied. "It is impossible for life to exist without the Force." There, that Force word again. Isis felt a sliver of irritation as the definition of the word he had used so often still eluded her. "The civilizations on other worlds were just not foolish enough to extract the Force from the planets for their own personal gain."

Isis smirked, placing one hand on her hip. "You mean, they just hadn't thought of the idea yet. I'm sure if they had, they would have done the same thing Shinra did." She shook her head. "You know, we haven't always used Mako. In Corel, they used to mine for coal, and that's what we've burned into power for so many years, until Shinra discovered Mako and decided to use it as a main resource of electricity and profit. There were a lot of people who didn't think that Mako was a worthy replacement for coal, but Shinra had ways of persuading the other cities. The only nation that refused to give in was Wutai."

Vader listened. He recognized Wutai as the outlying continent to the west, but he had not sent a terrible amount of troopers there, as there was no trace of Shin-Ra Inc.'s rule there, thus no evidence of Sephiroth. But perhaps now Isis would prove otherwise.

"Wutai is made up of stealthy, powerful warriors. I don't know a whole lot about them, but I do know that their refusal to purchase Mako caused a huge war between them and Shin-Ra. I guess Shin-Ra wanted to force them into using it, but even though SOLDIER won the war, the Wutaians still don't use Mako. There's a lot more I still don't know, that all happened when I was like two years old or something." Her eyes brightened and she suggested enthusiastically, "You could ask Naomi though! She's in SOLDIER, right? Maybe she actually fought in the war?"

"Perhaps," replied Vader, as he turned away and continued down the passage. Whether he cared about the Wutai War or not, Isis hoped that her suggestion would lighten the suspicion the Empire had on Naomi. _She seems like too nice of a person to get killed by these guys._

Then again, what did Isis know anyway? What if Naomi _was_ planning something? Was that what kept Isis walking; the possibility that she would be able to participate in something that would cause the Empire to leave their world? Isis, on her trek through the Northern Crater, had begun to think a lot about why she had agreed to come. At first, the rumors of all the horrible creatures living inside made her want to stay back on the _Devastator_, but then the prospect of staying alone for so many hours in that damned holding cell sounded even worse.

_And stop acting as if you had a choice_, she thought. _They made you come, remember?_ So she walking because she had no choice? No, there was always a choice. If she chose not to come, they would have killed her. Though her choice would have been death, it was still a choice. She was walking because…because…

_Because there's something up ahead that I need to see._

Her thin eyebrows furrowed. Where in the Ancient's name had _that_ come from? How could she possibly know that there was something important up ahead? Her answer came when she had nearly collided into Vader's back (thankfully she had not). He had stopped, and with one glance around the cave she realized why. The passage led into a massive chamber that could probably fit the 501st's entire legion, illuminated by jade and sea green Mako on the floor and the walls. There were many openings into other passages, much more than the first crossroads in which the squad had first separated into groups.

Looking up, she saw endless darkness and no cave ceiling. Had they reached the bottom of the crater? Isis found it interesting how the light gave Vader's black helmet a metallic green sheen and the snowtrooper's white armor a pale green tint. The hollow was fascinating; it was like staring into a mirror and looking deeply into her own eyes.

"A fountain," she heard someone breathe, a snowtrooper with a deep and rough voice. Her eyes fell on the waist high rock formation in the middle of the chamber. Sprouting from the bowl tip of the rock was a smooth river of Mako, falling benevolently in liquid gossamer rivets to floor and eventually spreading up to the walls. In the walls, she caught glimpses of hardened crystals wedged into the stone, each the same color as the Mako fountain.

"Materia," she replied breathlessly. "I don't believe it. It's materia in its natural form." Vader's attention was on her as she explained; "All of the materia you've seen so far was made in Mako reactors, which is why they take that perfect round shape. Here they just seem to grow naturally. When Mako reactors extract the energy from planet, it dries up the Mako and condenses it into materia. I never thought there was a natural way of doing it."

"Then what is it that's drying up the Mako here?" Vader questioned, and Isis tore her captivated gaze away from the walls in concern.

"I…I don't know," she replied. Vader studied the fountain and the materia again. The materia reminded him of the Adegan crystals used to power lightsabers. Could they be related in some way? What effect would materia, replacing the traditional crystals have on the ancient weapons of the Jedi and the Sith?

Vader had begun to think thoroughly on the possibility just when Isis had cried out. He looked to the fountain where one of the snowtroopers had his gloved hand nearing the fountain. He was looking at Isis with his head titled in confusion.

"I wouldn't touch it," she told the snowtrooper. "We have no idea exactly how powerful or how healthy that Mako is. Too much contact with it can contract Mako poisoning."

"Poisoning?" Vader asked and she nodded, explaining, "Sometimes the body isn't strong enough to handle the amount of energy. It's like being exposed to harmful radiation. That's why only the strongest were enlisted in SOLDIER, because they were strong enough to handle the Mako showerings and injections. From what I've heard, they don't even get showered with two percent of what you see in here. Who knows what would happen to your body when it's exposed to so much?"

The snowtrooper next to the fountain stiffened and Isis offered him a small sympathetic smile, which he returned with barely a moment's worth of a glance as he rejoined his unit. She wondered just what the Imperial was feeling, knowing that his curiosity could have caused his own death. She supposed the emotionless stormtroopers were human after all, if they could show natural curiosity like that. Isis took a second to memorize the rank and insignia on his armor. Not that she would need it, but Isis had an unconscious habit of remembering small things.

Vader had begun to issue commands. Some of the snowtroopers disappeared through the passage they had just come from, while the others stood guard and inspected the entrances to the other tunnels. Isis looked up at the towering Sith Lord.

"Are we gonna wait here for a while?" she asked.

"The troops were sent back to the last chamber to wait for General Posada and the other teams. The others are scouting ahead and mapping the tunnels." He crossed his arms over his chest and observed the work, and Isis got the impression that he was disappointed with something.

"Well, not that I'm telling you how to do your job or anything, " she replied rather casually, "but if Naomi's our guide and she knows this place better than we do, shouldn't the troops hold back a bit on the other tunnels?"

His monotonous breathing answered her and she frowned. Just what was this guy thinking anyway? There was no point in quickening the pace if it just meant being killed by some monster! Did he know something she didn't?

Suddenly, Vader turned to the nearest snowtrooper and ordered urgently, "Call them back here, immediately!" The snowtrooper rushed away, saying something through the comm link in his helmet. The troops that had disappeared through the other tunnels ran back inside, and before she knew it, Darth Vader had ignited his red lightsaber with a _snap-hiss_. She wrinkled her nose as she smelled the ozone that the humming blade burned through in the air.

"What the hell is that?" she asked, staring at the glowing beam of his weapon, but Vader ignored her as he walked in great strides towards one of the tunnel entranceways, holding up his lightsaber in front of him. The snowtroopers dispersed throughout the chamber hollow, aiming their blasters at each of the entrances. Isis gripped the hilts of her daggers and then her eyes widened as the sound of gunshots echoing in the tunnels reached her ears.

_Naomi!_ The cave shook, and then Naomi Posada, as well as several other snowtroopers, dove through the air and out of the passageway that Vader was standing in front of. The entire cave crashed out behind them, and Isis dove backwards as the sudden explosion of rock sent boulders and rubble their way. A horrific screech pierced her ears and Isis, rolling onto her back, opened one eye to take a look.

The creature was revolting. It took the form of a giant, skeletal lizard, at least five meters in height, standing upright on it's hind legs as slimy brown flesh hung like melting wax from it's limbs. Each step it took made the cave tremble, as well as the pained screeches it made as the snowtroopers opened fire upon it. As Isis got to her feet, she found Vader standing in the same spot, unmoved by the destruction the monster had caused. The Sith Lord held his lightsaber with one hand, looking up at the monster as it swung its giant clawed arms at the snowtroopers. Their screams reverberated against the cave walls as they were thrown aside like rag dolls by the creature.

"Aim for the face!" she heard Naomi yell and Isis turned to find the General behind her, standing up with her guns still in hand. Naomi took a careful aim with one gun and as she fired, the creature stumbled back with a howl, one claw holding onto the entire right side of its face. The snowtroopers ceased their fire for one moment, and as the monster let go of its face, the right eye appeared as a bloody pulp – a hole where the eyeball should have been. It let out an angry scream, as if promising blood and death.

"You really pissed it off," Isis said, taking one step back. The snowtroopers were firing again, but the creature's wrath was insatiable. Its claws came raking down, cutting right through the helmets and armor of those that were not lucky enough to dodge or roll out of the way. Isis saw an opening. The creature had its back turned to her, as its attention became focused on a group of Imperials that had emerged through one of the passages as back up reinforcements.

She ran towards it, ignoring Naomi's protests. Isis passed Vader without regarding him, a blur of black to her eyes. With merely a leap she was on the creature's back, but before she could take a slash at it, the creature wailed in agony, collapsing onto one of its legs. Isis fell forward, landing on her stomach on top of the fallen creature's slimy back, and peripherally, she saw Vader moving away from the creature, leaving behind it's entirely severed leg. With a dull hum, Vader brought down the blade, severing the creature's massive head from its body. The snowtroopers moved back as the head rolled towards them, the lizard creature's purple tongue sticking out of its mouth.

"Yuck," Isis grunted as she pushed herself off of the corpse. Slime was stuck on her black snow jacket, and she scraped it off with her daggers with a scowl. "You know, you could've at least told me you were going to do that _before _I jumped on the thing." Her eyes sent Vader a resentful glare. "You didn't even let me get a few stabs in, you battle hog."

Vader deactivated the lightsaber, and the glowing blade disappeared into the metal cylinder with a hiss. Naomi approached them, holstering her guns while the snowtroopers that were still on their feet went about gathering the injured survivors. "Just consider yourself lucky you're alive," said Naomi with one glance around at the unfortunate corpses. Isis shuddered at the sight, and figured Naomi had seen a lot of death not to regard the dead troops with nothing more than a sad and empty stare.

Isis turned away and replied, "The thing made one of the tunnels collapse."

"We can go another way," Naomi assured. "The tunnel we came from only led to this chamber."

"Same with ours," Isis answered with a sigh. "Looks like the monster completely trashed the Mako fountain though."

Raising an eyebrow, Naomi glanced at the puddle of Mako that was pooling from under the creature's dead body. "Damn," she muttered. "I was hoping to see one before we left too, but I guess there'll be more up ahead."

"How many have we lost?" Vader asked and both of the women turned to the snowtrooper he was addressing.

"Eight, Milord," replied the Imperial. "Eleven are injured, and their conditions are critical."

"Escort them back to the surface and have a shuttle transport them to Healin Lodge for medical attention," Vader ordered. Isis raised her eyebrows in surprise, but caught Naomi lowering her gaze to the ground uncomfortably.

"So you did kill Rufus," Naomi quietly responded. Isis saw something else in the female soldier's eyes, but it was impossible for her to understand what it was. _Does she know something we don't?_ Isis wondered. She held Vader's gaze for a second and realized that he was probably thinking the same thing.

"How much further do we have to travel to get to the bottom of the crater?" Vader asked, ignoring her sentiment. _Straight to business, this one,_ Isis thought sourly.

"There really is no 'bottom of the crater,' Naomi responded. "Or at least, no one's been able to achieve it. The last time I was here…" she shook her head. "No, forget it, let's just go."

"No, wait," Isis said as the woman was turning away. "Tell us. We could use the information, right?"

Naomi sighed. "Well, I've actually been here twice. The first time I was sent here it was with the remaining First Class ranks of SOLDIER. This was just a few days before the WEAPON's were released and before he summoned Meteor. Professor Hojo and the Shin-Ra Science Department wanted to gather data on the crater, while we were dispatched to eliminate any threats in their way. I was one of the very few that survived."

Isis narrowed her eyes. Hojo…why did that name sound so familiar? Naomi continued. "It was a suicide mission. Hojo knew we didn't have the proper resources to clear out the crater, but they sent us anyway. I suppose it was part of his _grand_ SOLDIER experiment," she said, rolling her eyes and speaking with resentful sarcasm. "What he really wanted to see was the true limitations of someone in the SOLDIER program. If he had the chance, he probably would have had me fight Sephiroth."

"Because you survived," Vader replied and she nodded. "What happened?"

"From what I was told, Sephiroth was incased in some sort of geological stratum," Naomi explained. "There were a lot of details that were kept confidential, but I do know that something happened there, something called Reunion."

Isis winced, feeling something stab at her brain from the inside. She gulped. "R-Reunion?"

"Something wrong?" Naomi asked.

Isis shook her head. "I-I, no. It just sounds familiar, that's all."

Naomi shrugged. "Well, I don't know about any Reunion, but I do know that Hojo never had his chance. Just when the WEAPON's were released, we escaped with several others on the president's air ship. I was sent here just recently with the Turks to investigate the possibility that Sephiroth might have left anything behind. If so, we were ordered to destroy it." Her blue eyes darkened with something. "We found nothing."

"You are undeniably sure?" Vader questioned in an almost threatening tone. Naomi nodded without hesitation, and even though Vader was doubtful of her answer, he left it at that. Their own journey to the bottom of the crater would prove whether she was lying or not.

"Are there any other Generals in Shin-Ra?" Isis asked suddenly, Naomi turned to her with a surprised look.

"Why?" Naomi asked.

"Because I don't see Vader here giving _them_ any grief!" Isis replied with a glare towards the Dark Lord. Vader clenched his gloved fist, and Isis coughed, feeling her throat tighten for a moment before Naomi chuckled softly, despite herself.

"No," she replied. "No, there aren't, Isis. There was Heidegger two years back, but he was killed in an explosion in Midgar. He never actually did any ground or front line fighting either. He was more like the political figurehead for the army. The only other General before myself was…" she trailed off, her luminous azure eyes looking distant.

"Who?" Isis asked in curiosity.

"I wasn't a General at the time," she said. "The only reason I became one is because he disappeared." Her eyes became focused as she claimed, "I was the soldier that replaced Sephiroth."

Isis held her breath. That was a pretty bold statement, she realized. There were few that could openly claim themselves to be Sephiroth's replacement, knowing of the greatness that had attached itself to his name. Next to her, Vader said sardonically, "So the plot thickens."

"Did you know him?" Isis inquired.

"Not very well," Naomi admitted. "I fought in the Wutai War, and so did he, and through that we were able to achieve our high ranks of SOLDIER First Class. He was very cold, Sephiroth. He did not make it a habit to befriend anyone. Somehow I always got the impression that he considered himself separate from everyone else, even from those of us in SOLDIER."

Isis' heart skipped a beat. Naomi's last statement seemed to hit home somehow. More than once during her own childhood, Isis had considered herself separate from the other orphans. She was the first to walk, the first to talk, and even the first to master materia of any kind. Many of the orphans distanced themselves from her for that reason. Maybe she really was connected to-,

_No! Don't even think that for a minute! You're nothing like that psycho! You didn't summon Meteor!_ Isis's jaws tightened almost hard enough for them to pop. Naomi didn't seem to notice.

"Then, seven years ago he was sent with another First Class SOLDIER named Zack to a small town just a little north of Cosmo Canyon," Naomi continued. With a sad sigh, she claimed, "Zack I did know. Very well in fact. He had a girlfriend in Midgar and a family to go back to in Gongaga." She shook her head. "Neither he nor Sephiroth ever made it back from that town. Any details or information that I tried to recover from that mission was kept totally classified. Not even the highest ranks in SOLDIER were permitted to see it."

"As a result they promoted you to General," said Vader.

"Yeah," Naomi answered, sounding disconsolate. "I never had considered myself worthy of replacing Sephiroth. My strength was no where near his, but there was no one else, and the army needed a leader, so…I took the job."

A snowtrooper stepped up and announced, "Lord Vader, the surviving casualties have been escorted to the surface and we are ready to continue."

Isis was impressed. "You know, you guys have a lot of guts, I'll give you that. If _I_ was part of a team and my friends were killed…I don't even know what I'd do. Tough cookies, that's what you all are."

"I…I am not sure what that means, ma'am," said the snowtrooper, and Isis recognized his rank and voice then. He was the one who was going to touch the Mako fountain. She smiled.

"It's an expression," she replied. "A compliment, actually." The Imperial shifted, quietly clearing his throat, as if unsure what to say.

"You may dispatch the squad into the other tunnels," Vader said, and Isis could almost feel the snowtrooper's relief at the change of subject. He walked off to attend to his duties, and Naomi began to follow.

"We should take this one," she said, pointing to the tunnel that was furthest from the one that had been blocked off by the damage the monster had caused. "None of us have gone through there yet."

Isis followed her, and Vader did as well, his tall form casting a long shadow over the both of them. A group of snowtroopers went through the tunnel ahead of them, leading the way with their blaster rifles pointed at the path in front of them. The tunnel was wider than the last, and eventually it opened up into an even bigger chamber. The group stopped.

"Now, this is a little more familiar," Naomi confirmed. They were standing on a rock platform, and directly below them was a giant lake of Mako. Other rock platforms spanned across the cave, each at different distances from one another, some short enough to jump across.

"So we're getting closer?" Isis asked.

"Definitely," Naomi answered, leaping with ease to the rock platform in front of her. It was wide enough to fit up to a dozen of the snowtroopers. "Follow me, and try not to fall in, will ya?"

"Look at all this Mako," said Isis as she jumped across.

"Neo Midgar," said Vader. Naomi stopped on the next platform and turned to him in shock.

"What?" she gasped. "What did you just say?"

Isis found it odd that Darth Vader just seemed to glide with his jumps, as if some invisible power were guiding him. "Shin-Ra had plans to build here after they learned that the crater contained over 200 more Mako than the Midgarian continent. They called the project Neo Midgar."

"How could you possibly know that?" Naomi asked, her tanned face paling.

"So imprudent," Vader insulted. "Did you not think that by now we would have already accessed Shin-Ra's classified files?"

Naomi was left speechless. Without another word she turned away and jumped across to the next platform. Isis was able to jump across each one without difficulty, as was Vader, but the snowtroopers needed a little bit more time. They were much more cautious with their actions, and were not greatly physically enhanced like the Shin-Ra General, the Sith Lord, and the silver haired orphan.

After about ten minutes of traveling across the Mako, Naomi stopped on one platform and just as Isis, Vader and two snowtroopers joined her, she suddenly held up a hand towards them. "Don't come any closer."

She stepped aside, revealing a creature barely sixty centimeters tall with green skin, a round head with a small snout, and round yellow eyes. It was another bipedal lizard with a dolphin-like tail sticking out from the back of its shabby red robes, reminding Isis of a green sock puppet. In one hand it carried a lantern while in the other it carried a nasty looking dagger.

Isis gasped. "T-that's not a….a Tonberry?!"

Naomi nodded. "Yes, it is." Isis immediately jumped back to the previous platform. She had heard stories about those things, and none of them were pleasant.

"Are they intelligent?" Vader asked.

"Oh, they're intelligent alright, maybe even civilized," Naomi replied. Looking at the two snowtroopers she ordered, "_Do not_ engage."

"General," said one of them, raising his blaster, "I really doubt-, ACK!" Isis gave a startled jump as the snowtrooper's body fell to the floor, landing before the Tonberry creature as it held it's knife, now stained with the Imperial's blood.

"How can it penetrate our armor?!" exclaimed the other snowtrooper. Before Naomi could stop him, he fired upon the Tonberry. Yet, the blasts did not hit the creature. Instead, they were absorbed into the lantern, which caused it to glow with a dangerous red light.

"Everybody move!" Naomi shouted as she jumped back to the other platform. Despite her warnings, Vader moved _towards_ the creature. Force sensitive as the creature was, it was no match for a Sith Lord. The Tonberry swung its lantern, and Vader clenched his gloved fingers. The Tonberry dropped it's lantern, causing it to shatter to pieces on the floor, and as the creature was levitated into the air, the Tonberry's small hands went to it's neck, struggling with the Force choke Vader inflicted on it. Within moments, he discarded the nuisance into the Mako lake, and jumped ahead to the next platform.

"….." Isis stared at Vader's dark form as he continued on. Then she asked, bewildered, "What happened?"

"I think he killed it," Naomi replied as she jumped across. The other snowtroopers followed.

"Are you sure?" Isis asked as she jumped. "I thought they were supposed to be stronger."

"Oh, they are," said Naomi. "As you saw, a Tonberry's attacks can be quite lethal when you get too close." She gave a wary glance at Vader. "I suppose that Vader is much stronger than any of us thought."

Isis nervously bit onto her bottom lip. _Just how strong, though?_ It terrified Isis to think that his power could rival even Sephiroth's, and she had a fleeting vision of the Dark Lord summoning a power even greater than Meteor's. She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked over at Naomi who tried her best to give Isis a reassuring smile.

"Hey, don't worry about it," Naomi said. Isis nodded and jumped to yet another platform and Naomi stood for a while in thought, allowing the troops to pass her. The girl was nothing like Sephiroth after all.

_But that doesn't mean I trust her just yet._

"General Posada," Darth Vader called, and Naomi jumped onto one last platform, a surface wide enough to rival the last chamber. Vader had stopped at the edge and was staring down a gaping void. When Naomi and Isis joined him, the two women gasped.

There was no Mako that he could see, but he could sense a multitude of things. The amount of power was overwhelming, enough for him to realize the _true_ potential of it all. The power of the Force was converging below, and he could almost see a pale green light at what he guessed was the bottom. _And the dark side,_ he recognized. _It's there too…_

Power. More power than he had even dreamed of, and it was within his grasp. Not even the Emperor would be able to defeat him once he harnessed its might. Finally, he would be able to-,

"Isis!" Naomi shouted, and Vader gave a start as Isis leapt down into the darkness.

Darth Vader said nothing. With a _snap-hiss_ his crimson lightsaber was ignited and Naomi stared in horror as he jumped down after the seventeen year old. She moved forward but was stopped as a pair of arms held onto her body.

"What are you doing!?" she shouted at the snowtroopers. "Let go of me! You can't let him! She's just a kid!"

The snowtrooper that had grabbed her shoved her behind him, and from the ground she stared up at a number of blaster rifles pointed at her. One of the snowtroopers merely shook his head.

"You can't just let them go," Naomi pleaded. The Imperials paid her no heed.

"That's…the Lifestream."

**Author's Note:** Tonberrys…at first I was really anticipating that scene, but after I wrote it, I gained some doubts. It was meant as mild comic relief, but at the same time, it was also meant to show Vader's power, being that Tonberrys were some of the more powerful monsters in the game… I dunno, for some reason, the scene tastes bitter in my mouth. Tell me what you think.


	14. Lifestream Awareness

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. The only characters that I can claim are General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and any other original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Thirteen: Lifestream Awareness**

Darth Vader fell. It seemed like an eternity, but the longer he fell, the closer the pale green light became. The lightsaber in his hand illuminated the immediate darkness around him in a blood red glow. To those waiting up above, they would be able to see his exact position, thanks to the lightsaber, but Isis' location was not so easily marked. He had only seen a flash of silver below him once or twice, but he did not need to see the girl to know that she was there. Had she made any noise in landing at the bottom, Vader could not tell, but her presence was near, and let his master be damned if Vader was going to let her take that power from him.

The power…yes, at the bottom of the darkness, where the Force was converging. The Unifying Force, the Living Force, the Physical Force, the dark side, there it all was and so much more, waiting for someone to claim it. When Vader had first felt it, the power seemed vulnerable, defenseless, and susceptible to any molding that a pair of hands could sculpt. Oh, the things he would shape it into…the knowledge that was down there was enough to destroy the Emperor ten times over, create enough planets and stars to fill two universes, and define what _truly_ made one a master of the Force.

This was the core of the planet's energy, the consciousness that was connected to the lifeblood of the universe. The Force was no longer invisible. To be able to harness and control the power would mean a complete command and government over all life and death in the universe. He would not let an insolent child with no knowledge of the Force take that from him.

And then he stopped falling. Vader had not even felt his feet touch the ground, and yet he knew he was standing on solid blackness. The steady hum of his lightsaber accompanied the subtle otherworldly chime and tympanic echoes the Force caused, a sound he would admit to never having heard before. The Sith Lord looked up, and not a meter above his head was a river of pale green and silver weave, fluidly moving in soft waves through the darkness. Where one strand of silky gossamer broke up, another thread joined with it, connecting in a number of ways for as far as his eyes could see.

_The Force connects everything,_ he thought, _and this is where it all connects._ What would he call this convergence of the Force? It flowed on forever. He sensed life, death, happiness, pain, fear, courage, anger, love, hate, and suffering. Where one side of the Force flowed, the dark side came to meet it. It was as if he could sense the feelings of every being on the planet, from the plants, to the animals, and then to the humans. Vader reached up to touch the shimmering weave with a gloved hand…

"_AARRGH!" _came Vader's cry as he pulled his mechanical hand out of the weave and stumbled back. His head was burning…so many voices… Vader's perfunctory breathing became labored. Touching the weave was like coming into contact with Force lightning, the sheer amount of energy igniting his arm and body like a bitterly cold flame, hot at the same time. He tried to discern the voices…

_"I never knew that Wutai was so beautiful…that mountain, Da-Chao…too bad I won't be around much longer to enjoy it. Stupid war…"_

"_The Calamity has destroyed everything we've worked so hard to build. The Lifestream is infected with its hatred. I'm not sure how long our race will last…"_

"_If I die, I want to tell her that I've never left her. Being in Midgar for so long, it's hard to remember what she looks like, or the rest of the world for that matter…"_

Darth Vader did not know who the voices belonged to, but it was becoming increasingly more difficult to separate one from another. Split-second images flashed before him with each voice that he heard. Every image was different. The point of view for each voice was varied, and no two images or voices were the same. Were they memories? Had the memories from those who had already passed on echoed for eternity through the Force?

Vader turned. The voices were overwhelming. Not only did they bring their memories, but also their feelings at the same time. How could one person possibly contain it all? Across the way, standing alone, he found Isis, her back turned to him as she stared up at the weave. Despite the pain in his mind, he took long, unfaltering strides towards her, his lightsaber ready for whatever he had to face from her.

"_Am I the same as all these monsters…?"_

Vader stopped as a split second image of a silver haired man crossed his mind, attacking something with his sword. Vader clenched his fist, determined to hold on to that memory. In front of him, Isis moved her head slightly, away from the weave.

"So you're interested in seeing what I have seen?" Isis inquired, but Vader sensed a disturbance. Her voice was cold, spiteful. It was like hearing himself speak, or his master. "Very well then," she said, still not looking at him. "If you really want to know…"

The image returned. There he was, the man, his long silver hair moving with his body as he slashed at a round metal pod angrily with his extended sword. A younger man stood a ways from him, his bright blue eyes looking concerned, and his unruly black hair sticking out in different directions.

"…_Sephiroth,"_ said the black haired man.

The other man with the sword turned, his face betraying a horrible fury. Sephiroth. _"You saw it, Zack! All of them…were humans."_

The memory became clearer, more detailed. The hum of machines replaced the sounds of the Force weave, and it was as if Vader himself were standing present at the scene. It was a metal chamber, with rows of the same metal pods lining the room, all the way up to a shut door with a sign on the top reading in symbols he did not recognize. J-E-N-O-V-A.

The black haired man, Zack, stepped back in shock. Zack, the member of SOLDIER that Posada mentioned had disappeared with Sephiroth seven years ago. _"Human!? No way!"_

Sephiroth stopped, breathing hard as he turned to face Zack. _"…I've always felt since I was small, that I was different from the others. Special, in some way. But…not like this…"_

Vader did everything not to scoff. Fool. Did Sephiroth even realize the potential he had? _Perhaps it is justifiable,_ Vader thought. _They have no knowledge of the Force._ Or was there more that Sephiroth did not know?

Vader glanced over at the rows of metal pods just as a sharp hiss filled the air and one of the pods opened. A humanoid figure fell onto its side in front of the pod, snarling, but apparently too weak to move. It did not resemble a human in any sense of the word, except for the shape of its basic anatomy, but it did remind of him of the giant monster they fought in the crater. So that was what Isis had meant by too much exposure to Mako…while only a short exposure to it would greatly enhance a person's powers, too much of it would mutate them into a vicious monster.

_So it's some sort of experimentation,_ Vader realized. _That is why Sephiroth is questioning his own origins._ When he returned to the _Devastator,_ he would look at the Shin-Ra files more thoroughly. The SOLDIER program, Mako, Sephiroth, and the locked project file on the disk were all connected somehow.

_"Am I…human?"_

The memory faded and Vader was back with the Force weave. Isis was still there, her face unreadable and her green eyes looking empty. "That was only the beginning," she said, and then to Vader's surprise, she began to laugh, tilting her head back to do so in an oddly maniacal fashion. The Sith Lord's head began to burn agonizingly, and for moments he angrily remembered an encounter with a certain Jedi Master on a volcanic planet…

He could not dwell on his own hated past for long. Another image appeared. Isis and the Force weave were gone again and Vader was standing with Sephiroth in an old dusty room with tall shelves lining the walls. Ancient tomes sat undisturbed on the shelves, while others had been thrown about and discarded after their use. Sephiroth held one of the books in his hands, his face lined with a mixture of emotions bordering on confusion, concern, and obsession as he read it.

"…_Jenova confirmed to be an Ancient… Mako Reactor 1 approved for use," _murmured the soldier clad in black leather as he walked down the narrow path in front of him lined with shelves. Sephiroth's eyes scanned the pages for a moment before looking up at the ceiling above him. _"My mother's name is Jenova…Jenova Project…Is this just a coincidence?"_

Vader watched the scene patiently. _There is no such thing as coincidence, _he thought. Jenova Project...the locked file on the disk was named the exact same thing. He was getting closer to answers.

The scene changed. They were still in the old library but Sephiroth was seated on the desk at the end of the room now, his booted feet propped up on the table as he laughed coldly at the man standing in front of the desk, Zack.

"_You ignorant traitor," _Sephiroth mocked._ "Very well, I'll tell you."_ His young face glanced at the wall. _"This planet originally belonged to the Cetra. The Cetra was an itinerant race. They would migrate in, settle the planet, and then move on…"_ Standing up from the desk, Sephiroth passed a gloved finger along the shelves, leaving a trail where the dust had been. _"At the end of their hard, harsh journey, they would find the Promised Land and supreme happiness."_

The Cetra…not a species Vader had ever heard of, but that was to be expected in a galaxy such as this. There were many races belonging to hundreds of planets, some humanoid, some not, but either way it did not surprise Vader to hear of a new one.

Sephiroth glared at Zack, his glowing green eyes burning with hatred. _"But, those that disliked the journey appeared. Those who stopped their migrations built shelters and elected to lead an easier life. They took that which the Cetra and the planet had made without giving one whit of it back in return!"_ Sephiroth turned his blazing gaze to the ground. _"Those are your ancestors."_

It was becoming clearer now. A group of humans in the planet's pre-history encountered the Cetra race while both were migrating from planet to planet and eventually settled down. Vader listened as Sephiroth continued to talk.

"_Long ago, disaster struck this world. Your ancestors escaped…they survived because they hid."_ Why was Sephiroth speaking of the human ancestors as if they were not his own? _"The planet was saved by sacrificing the Cetra. After that, your ancestors continued to increase."_ He turned to the desk and gestured to a pile of books on the surface. _"Now all that's left of the Cetra are in these reports."_

The scene changed again. Now Sephiroth was standing at the opposite end of the room, Zack looking more fearful now than confused. _"The Jenova Project was initiated to produce people with the powers of the Ancients…no, the Cetra."_ So the Cetra were Force sensitive? Vader noted how Sephiroth straightened to his full height of almost two meters, his eyes clouding with pride and arrogance. _"…I am the one that was produced."_ The scene changed again, and Sephiroth was walking out of the room, pushing Zack roughly out of the way. _"Out of my way. I'm going to see my mother."_

A number of images appeared for Vader then. There was one that his master had described to him, where Sephiroth stood amidst a wall of fire, grinning cruelly as screams pierced the night. Another, where he stood in front of a tall glass tube with a fragile alien female inside. Her skin was blue, and her hair was a gleaming silver, but she appeared to be asleep, as if she were frozen for a long time.

_"With her superior power, knowledge, and magic, Mother was destined to become the ruler of this Planet."_

"_I am the chosen one."_ Sephiroth's claim made Vader shake in rage. There was a time in his own life where he was believed to be the same, and he was not ready to give up the title so lightly. _"I have been chosen to be the leader of this planet. I have orders to take it back from you stupid people for the Cetra."_

Another memory. It was in the old library again, but there was a substantial change in lighting. Had it changed to daytime? How many years had passed? _"Jenova will be at the Reunion," _Sephiroth explained. _"Jenova will rejoin the Reunion, becoming a calamity from the skies."_

Vader turned, almost in shock as Cloud Strife's voice exclaimed from behind him, _"Jenova, a calamity from the skies? You mean she wasn't a Cetra?!"_ Cloud looked younger, but not by much. He was clothed differently as well, and there was a determination in his eyes that Vader had not seen him with earlier in the day.

The memory changed yet again. Now Vader was standing inside what appeared to be a very ancient temple, with murals and hieroglyphics of every kind on the walls. Sephiroth stood under a specific mural that depicted a giant comet colliding with the planet.

"_You stupid fools. You have never even thought about it. All the spirit energy of this planet. All its wisdom…knowledge…"_ He was addressing the very same thing Vader had realized when he came into contact with the Force weave. _"I will meld with it all. I will become one with it. It will become one with me."_

There were no more images, only darkness, but Vader could still hear Sephiroth's voice:

_"Only death awaits you all, but do not fear. It is through death that new spirit energy will be born. Soon, you will live again as a part of me."_

"_Behold that mural. The Ultimate Destructive Magic…Meteor."_

_"...What would happen if there was an injury that threatened the very life of the planet? Think how much energy would be gathered!"_

_"By merging with all the energy of the planet, I will become a new life form, a new existence. Melding with the planet... I will cease to exist as I am now."_

_"Only to be reborn as a 'God' to rule over every soul."_

Sephiroth's voice was gone, and Vader was back with Isis and the Force weave. Her eyes still empty of emotion, she asked, "So…how was it?"

Vader raised his lightsaber. "Stimulating," he said dryly.

Isis laughed again. "Good, good. We seem to have similar goals, you and I. Being as powerful as you are, I'm surprised you haven't thought about it until now. You've been using spirit energy for all of those years, and yet you had never realized that you could merge with it, absorb all of its knowledge? That's what you want, isn't it? All of this power?"

Vader said nothing. Isis continued, "The Lifestream…" She gestured to the green weave above them. "This is what governs the flow of life through _all_ worlds. When a creature dies, it's soul and energy returns to the Lifestream to create a new life elsewhere, since energy can neither be created nor destroyed. The possessor of the Lifestream's knowledge will have unlimited power and reign through out the cosmos. And _I_ will be the one to acquire it."

"As powerful as you supposedly are, _Sephiroth,_" Vader spat, "I find it quite pitiable that you would need to possess a _little girl_ to achieve your goals."

Isis' expression was stony. "Oh, don't worry. This won't be for long. It is only because she is so close to the Lifestream, so close to my consciousness, that I am able to speak through her. Here, I am able to control her, as was her intended purpose from the moment she was created."

"As brilliant as your idea was," Vader changed the subject, "you seem to forget that Meteor _failed._ Because of this, one thing is certain: You are not worthy of inheriting the Lifestream."

Vader charged at her, and she jumped into the air as Vader swung his lightsaber. She landed behind him and as Vader turned, he was pushed back away from her by an awesome invisible power - Sephiroth's power. "And you consider yourself to be worthy?" she countered, lowering her right arm. "Do not think that I haven't already searched through this girl's mind. I know of the Emperor you serve. Are his powers any greater than yours?"

Isis, or rather Sephiroth, sounded curious, perhaps even interested. "He is toying with the possibility of making you his new apprentice," Vader admitted with a dangerous edge to his voice. "I cannot let that happen."

"And what would he teach me?" Isis asked.

"The dark side of the Force," Vader replied.

Isis laughed. "As if that is worth anything." Vader suppressed a growl. "Are you sure it is not from me that he would be learning from instead?"

Vader decided to humor Sephiroth. If he could discourage him from accepting any of Palpatine's offers… "Yes. Once he learns your knowledge and acquires your power, he will dispose of you." _There cannot be three Sith, and I will never give him the opportunity of becoming one._

"You can tell your Emperor that I have no intentions of become anyone's apprentice," said the possessed Isis. "Whether he would dispose of me or not, it does not matter. I will not share my godhood or birthright with anyone, least of all your master."

"As you wish," replied Vader. "Keep in mind that no matter _what_ your intentions are, _I_ will find a way to harness this ultimate knowledge that _you_ were never able to take as your own." He could see a flicker of rage cross Isis' face.

"Then this will be settled at my Reunion," she answered. "Attend the Reunion, and we'll settle this, when I am reborn. The victor will have all rights to the power of the Lifestream."

"Certainly," Vader agreed, and with that Isis' eye lids fluttered closed and she fell forward onto her knees, coughing harshly. Vader deactivated his lightsaber and approached the girl as she coughed small splotches of blood from out of her mouth.

She coughed into her hands, staining them with her blood before looking up at Vader, her eyes finally focused with her own thoughts. "What…an asshole."

"You were aware of everything that happened?" Vader inquired.

Isis stood up on trembling legs, the pupils in her green eyes narrowing to angry black vertical slits. "More than aware! It was like…" she stared at the blood on her palms. "I could see everything, but I couldn't stop myself. I wanted to speak, but when I opened my mouth, _he_ would start talking." She wiped the blood on her snow jacket in disgust. "When he comes back, I hope you send him to hell."

"Do you know how he is going to return?" asked Vader, and she shook her head.

"He kept going on and on about a Reunion, but I didn't know what the hell he was talking about. I think it has something to do with that Jenova-Cetra thing, or whatever the hell it's supposed to be."

"The Shin-Ra files," Vader replied. "There is a file labeled 'JENOVA Project' that was locked. Intelligence should have cracked the password by now."

Isis shivered. "I'm not sure I _want_ to know what's in that file." She looked around at the endless void with the Lifestream around them. "Now how do we get out of this place?"

Darth Vader said nothing and walked forward in no particular direction, and feeling shocked, Isis followed, not knowing just what he had in mind. Really, he was just following his instincts, listening to the Force. Tagging behind him, Isis was yelling at him about something, but his own thoughts drowned out her voice as he walked ahead.

Sephiroth…it appeared that he had a partial control over some of the Lifestream, as proven by the demonstration of his powers over Isis through possession. The souls of the deceased that Vader had heard; none of them were conscious enough to interact with the living. Although Sephiroth did not realize it, he _was_ strong in the Force, just as his master had predicted.

_And he is of the dark side,_ thought Vader. _His anger and hate are strong. That is what makes him powerful._ 'As if that is worth anything,' was what Sephiroth thought of the dark side. Vader instantly realized that Sephiroth sought a greater power to gain mastery of, and that the dark side was not enough. The Sith Lord supposed he could understand, he too knew that the Lifestream held superior potential, but it was only through mastery of the dark side that control of the Lifestream was possible; this Vader was sure of.

"….you stupid-head!! Aren't you even listening to me?" Vader stopped, allowing the nuisance of a teenager to catch up to him. "Where the hell are you going? You can't just go in a random direction, what's wrong with you!"

The Dark Lord of the Sith was silent again, contemplating of whether to dispose of the girl or not. The Emperor wanted to see her alive, and if it weren't for that fact, Vader would have killed her long ago. Still, that did not mean he could not discipline the brat…

Isis coughed, her hands going for her throat as she felt Vader's invisible fingers tighten around them. "Be silent," said Vader, and when he released her, Isis was heaving in a fit of rage, her slit-pupil green eyes piercing with anger, and her teeth bared to reveal sharp canines, but nevertheless, she was silent.

_Good,_ Vader thought. _Just like domesticating an animal._ He looked around, registering their surroundings. It was difficult. Everything looked exactly the same and he could not sense a difference from their last location to their current one. The voices of the dead still echoed faintly in his mind…

Next to him, Isis gasped, and then, Vader felt it as well. A new presence, one entirely different from Sephiroth's or any one else's…an image: flowers, water, laughter, warmth…

Light.

Vader scowled. The opposite of the dark side, but then it almost startled him to realize just how familiar it all felt. The scent of flowers and gentle sunlight. How he was able to physically smell them through the air filters in the respiratory vent of his helmet to begin with was well beyond his understanding. Instantly he was back twenty years ago, on that emerald planet with nothing but a pleasant warm breeze blowing through his free hair. His _hair_.

_No!_ Vader objected immediately as he willed the sensation of that soothing warmth to leave, and forced the darkness within his soul and his hate to take over. Never again would he allow himself to be deceived by that, by _her_. Looking across to what Isis was staring at in shock, he spotted a slim figure emerging out of the darkness, silhouetted by a faint sliver of light.

It was impossible! "_Padmé…_" The name he whispered left his mouth in a half-sigh, half-hiss before he even realized it. It sounded unnatural and foreign through his voice processor, but Isis, her attention focused on the figure, did not give any sign of noticing it. Her hands were inching slowly to the daggers holstered on her belt.

As the feminine-looking figure approached, Vader did not deny the painful and agonizing clench he felt deep in his chest. A long rope of braided hair swung behind her as she walked, her steps soft and short. When she was only a few meters away from them, her face was revealed - young, delicate, and peaceful. Her eyes were closed, and Vader was almost sure that it was the person was who he thought it was, until she opened her deep, yet soft forest green eyes.

Vader felt Isis wince next to him, but he missed the raw guilt that crossed her usually confident features. With frustration he glared at the young woman. As harmless as he sensed her to be, he still felt resentful towards her for merely making him think she was someone else. Yet, it was fairly easy to mistake her to begin with. She had the same slender figure, the upright and proper posture…her hair was even close to the same color.

Several bangs of wavy golden brown hair moved away from the bridge of her delicate nose as she asked in a soft voice, "You look like you're lost."

"No," Vader spat. "I am not lost."

Isis threw him a bewildered look and then promptly replied, "What are you talking about, we are lost!" Trying as best as she could not to look directly at the woman's face, she said, "Yeah, we need to find a way back to the surface."

The woman smiled sadly. "That won't be a problem. In that aspect, you're not lost at all, but you both _are _lost."

Isis' eyebrows furrowed. _Huh_? That made no sense. How could they be lost but not lost at the same time? Vader's monotonous breathing seemed to become louder to her ears, and she suddenly felt herself annoyed and unnerved by it. _HO-PAH, HO-PAH,_ it just seemed to go, constantly. It only added further to her list of current frustrations, including being lost.

"Who are you?" Vader demanded irritably, and again the woman smiled, calmly. It was quite aggravating, actually, how she seemed to show no concern or fear over his power.

"You can call me Aerith," she said pleasantly and again, Isis winced. She offered the platinum haired girl a sympathetic smile, but Isis only lowered her gaze to the tips of her boots in return.

"My people," Aerith said, "the Ancients, or rather, the Cetra, filter and augment the energy of the planet so that the Lifestream would bring prominent health to the world." Vader gave a start of revelation. This woman was one of the extinct Cetra? "I don't know what other worlds they did this with," she said disappointedly, "but I do know that the Calamity from the Skies is still infecting the Lifestream." Her caring green eyes took on a look of gloom.

_Stupid Force spirit,_ Vader thought grudgingly. What point was she making with all of this nonsense anyway? But Isis responded, "Wait! Is that the cause of Geostigma?" Her eyes were frantic for an answer, almost obsessed.

Aerith nodded. "Yes. As long as Jenova exists, Sephiroth will never stop."

"So destroy Jenova, and you destroy Sephiroth, am I right?" Isis asked.

"Yes," Aerith replied, "but I'm sorry. I don't know what affect that would have on you, Isis."

Isis stepped back, horrified. "What do you mean? You're not suggesting that I'm – that I'm…"

"I'm going to offer advice before I go," Aerith changed the subject. "I only have so much time to spend here. Sephiroth's influence is everywhere." She looked at Isis. "Never forget that it was you who molded your life." Vader glared as the Cetra turned to look at him. "Hold nothing."

Vader clenched a fist. She was sounding as cryptic as a Jedi! Her form shimmered into translucence and his vision darkened to black. He felt nothing then. Had the damned Cetra killed him?

It could have been hours, but he did not feel them pass until Vader heard footsteps. A group of boots, matching in hurried precision. A familiar voice.

"Hey, hurry, hurry!" It was General Posada, and he sensed Isis stir before he came to consciousness. Wind howled. When Vader came to, he realized that he had been kneeling. Isis was lying on her back, just beginning to open her eyes. Up above, the sky was a hazy shade of frost in the night. The Imperial shuttles and gun ships hovering about in the area proved that they were out of the crater itself, on one of the surrounding snow cliffs. Just _how_ had the Cetra been able to transport them there?

When he stood up, Naomi Posada stopped in front of him, turning around to call out to the approaching squad of snowtroopers, "Hey, over here!"

"We found them."

* * *

The Emperor was seated alone on his personal shuttle. Despite any implore or beseech, he refused any request for any of the Imperial senators or governors to join him on the journey to the curious new planet in the Unknown Regions. Word went about surprisingly fast, despite any efforts to keep it hushed, but that did not bother Emperor Palpatine in the least. He had sensed an intriguing fluxuation in the Force.

_Lord Vader is getting close,_ he confirmed. The Emperor's bony and shriveled fingers curled over the armrests of his seat. He had been anticipating this moment for months, ever since he had received the vision in the Force of the silver haired warrior walking calmly through a great wall of fire. Young, powerful, and ambitious, the warrior's potential rivaled even that of Vader in his prime.

_Perhaps we had all been mistaken as to who the Chosen One really was,_ Palpatine mused. If he were to take the young warrior as his apprentice, Vader would have the right to defend his position of course, in a duel to the death. There could not be three Sith, but it was a battle that Palpatine was willing, even hoping to witness. If the warrior could surpass even that of his Jedi-exterminating Darth Vader, his Galactic Empire would know no bounds, no resistance. The small, but increasing nuisance of the scattered Rebel Alliance would be snuffed out like an insignificant candle flame.

Emperor Palpatine casually reached over pressed a switch on his personal comm unit. "Commander?"

"_Yes, your Highness?_" replied a voice through the communicator.

"Status report," the Emperor commanded.

"_Our estimated time of arrival is approximately one standard hour. Once we are out of hyperspace, it will take less than twenty minutes to land on…the planet._"

"Excellent," the Emperor replied, sounding pleased. Leaning forward in his seat, he asked, "Tell me, what is the planet designated?"

The commander on the other line hesitated. "_Well, my Lord, it seems that the inhabitants have not named it._"

Palpatine did not know whether to laugh or growl. It was both stupid and amusing at the same time. What kind of civilized society doesn't name their world? "Very well," the Emperor drawled in a bored tone, "I will name the planet."

He sat back against the high backed seat, his acidic yellow eyes narrowing in contemplation. If he, the Emperor were to name a planet, what would he name it? Something…significant, reverent. His thoughts trailed back to a certain planet that was historically significant to the Sith Order over one thousand years ago…

Emperor Palpatine switched on the comm again. "New Korriban, Commander. The planet shall be called New Korriban."

**AN**: And so end the days when I write this fanfiction calling the FFVII world 'Planet.'


	15. Guardian of the Red Canyon

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. The only characters that I can claim are General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and any other original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Fourteen: Guardian of the Red Canyon**

He had always been curious as to what it would be like to walk amongst the stars. Now, Nanaki realized, the goal might not be so impossible to accomplish with the arrival of their extra-terrestrial visitors. As the quadruped guardian of Cosmo Canyon observed the projected digital image of the planet's orbit in his late grandfather's observatory, he wondered how excited Cid Highwind must be, even in the face of the obvious danger that the Empire presented. A smile tugged against his mouth, stretching a line against his snout at imagining the Rocket Town pilot anxiously working with the obviously advanced technology intended for the space travel that Cid had always dreamed of.

_Perhaps,_ Nanaki hoped, _when all of this calms down._ He lifted his head to stare at the highly detailed computer generated scenario of the planet, floating unprotected in space as an armada of strange ships surrounded it. His human adopted grandfather, Bugenhagen, would have despaired greatly at the sight of it if he were still alive. As Nanaki shook his head, the fire-red fur on his mane and back ruffled in a solemn rhythm. For two years the observatory had not picked up any distress patterns in the energy levels of the planet, and Nanaki had yet to hear any of the Lifestream's cries, even as the Imperials arrived. His only guess was that there was an interference that caused the Lifestream to behave so strangely.

_Whatever the interference may be,_ thought Nanaki, _it is probably the cause of Geostigma as well._

The observatory's digital scenarios did not provide him with much information. Although Bugenhagen's invention was state-of-the-art as far as Shin-Ra was concerned, it could only create educated guesses based on the data collected when observing the local solar system. Nanaki could barely fathom how much the Empire knew about the rest of the universe. Just how far into space had they traveled to reach the planet of the Cetra?

_Questions for later,_ Nanaki decided as he shut off the image-projecting machine. His four paws padded lightly across the floor of the observatory, and his nostrils caught a familiar scent just as he leaped nimbly into the room below the observatory.

"Ah, Vesh," said the quadruped, regarding the tan skinned young human in the other room with both a fond and concerned left eye. A scar kept his other eye permanently closed.

The young man shifted in something close to worry and anxiety. Vesh was a sixteen-year-old human, orphaned when his mother committed suicide at the news of her husband dying in Midgar during Meteorfall. After that, Nanaki took it upon himself to look after the boy, just as his adopted grandfather had done for him when his own warrior parents had been killed.

"Uh…Great Guardian," murmured Vesh as he looked down at the intelligent creature that had both canine and feline physical attributes. "That Commander Liot fellow has requested your presence again. At Cosmo Candle."

Nanaki lowered his gaze as a sigh left his nostrils. The Empire had not created a tremendously daunting presence in Cosmo Canyon, as Nanaki had made sure to inform them of the Canyon's peaceful neutrality with Shin-Ra, but he evacuated most of the women, children and elderly to the Gi caves nonetheless. Fortunately, the Imperials had nothing to search for or destroy in Cosmo Canyon, but he was sure that could change at any moment. Nanaki kept an awkward peace agreement between the Canyon warriors and the stormtroopers, but he was not sure how long that would last.

_And_ Commander Liot was a very self-confident and arrogant individual, despite his rank. He was not influential among the higher ranks, but he was the officer put in charge of the Cosmo Canyon region until all order was established, and in spite of the minimal threat Cosmo Canyon offered, Liot seemed to think very highly of the jurisdiction he had over the area, however temporary it was.

"Very well," answered Nanaki, and Vesh followed the articulate animal out of the room. The inhabited tunnels of the usually fire-orange canyon were bathed in pale moonlight, and every now and then a small troupe of stormtroopers would catch his eye at the bottom of the settlement, walking back and forth in practiced patrol.

Upon turning into another cavernous corridor, a gruff voice hissed, making Nanaki freeze and cause the fur along his spine to bristle. "Just where d'ya think you're going?"

Vesh turned and gasped, and Nanaki bared his fangs in a low growl, but then the sight behind him caught him by surprise. It was Cid Highwind, standing at the end of the tunnel and wearing a smirk! Had all of Nanaki's worries and concerns preoccupied his sense of smell?

"Cid!" exclaimed Nanaki, his gold eye lighting up, but Cid made a motion with his hands to keep quiet.

"Not here, Red," Cid warned. "C'mon."

Nanaki and Vesh followed the pilot through the torch-lit passages of the canyon, Nanaki becoming increasingly concerned as Cid snuck through each passage, holding his spear threateningly out in front of him. They stopped at a giant steel wall.

Nanaki titled his head in confusion. "The Gi cave?"

Cid nodded. "That's how I was able to get in, through the hidden entrance on the other side."

Nanaki shook his head. Clearly Cid was in some kind of trouble with the Empire to resort to sneaking into Cosmo Canyon through the ancient caves. Cid pushed a boulder aside and pressed his foot on a switch hidden underneath. Nanaki walked through as the steel wall rose to reveal a pitch-black tunnel.

"Vesh," said Nanaki in utmost seriousness. "Considering the possibility that I may be gone for a while, I am appointing you Guardian until I return. You _must_ protect the people."

Vesh seemed taken aback, but then recovered with a determined nod. "Yes, Great Guardian. May the Lifestream protect you."

Cid followed Nanaki inside as Vesh pushed the switch and began the process of moving the boulder back to its proper place. Nanaki's vision was plunged in to darkness as the steel wall fell, but immediately Cid ignited his cigarette lighter, providing a small warm light to see with.

"The others are waiting for us down below," said Cid.

"_Everyone_?" Nanaki inquired in surprise.

"No, just Barret and Cait. When we get to Rocket Town I'll go ahead and pick up everyone else." Cid walked ahead, and the two traveled downwards into the caves below. It was not very long until Nanaki heard the sound of the women, children and elderly he had sent inside to hide. When they arrived at the main chamber of the cave, Nanaki was greeted with the temporary settlement of huts, tents and torches that lit the area in which the people of Cosmo Canyon lived.

"Great Guardian!" echoed throughout the cave, as the tribe of humans came to greet their leader. "Is there something wrong? Has something happened?" were just some of the many questions that had been presented to him.

Nanaki was afraid for them. The warriors he had left on the surface were proud, but they had never seen a true battle. Those that had been alive during his father Seto's reign had seen the war against the Gi tribe, but now they were far too old to fight against the Empire. He only hoped that Vesh would learn from his examples and keep peace with the more powerful enemy.

Cid led him to a small tent among many others, and inside the tall and broad form of the dark skinned Barret Wallace stood waiting, with his mechanical right arm crossed over his chest with his left flesh one. Nanaki noticed that the prosthetic replacement had been upgraded from a machine gun to a seemingly normal metal hand, but Nanaki was sure that there were plenty of armaments stored inside.

"Don't even bother to say hi, or nothin'" growled Barret. "You as cold as ever, Red."

Nanaki studied the man with a gold, speculative eye. "It's been a long time, Barret."

Nanaki's ears perked up as he caught a different scent in the air. It was strange and exotic, as well as familiar. His gaze fell on a woman in the corner of the tent with blood red hair that he did not recognize. What struck him immediately were the bandages that wrapped the entirety of both her arms. Geostigma, perhaps?

Cid seemed to sense the question Nanaki wanted to ask and explained, "Er…this is Resia Tomebar, Red. She was fighting with us at Fort Condor."

Nanaki turned his head to look at Cid. "Fort Condor…it was destroyed…wasn't it?"

Cid nodded. "Yeah. Bastards would probably blow up the planet if they could."

"And that's just the least of our problems!"

Nanaki yelped as a weight suddenly fell onto his back. He growled and snapped his jaws as small hands pulled onto his ears and mane. "Cait Sith," he hissed. "If you don't get off of me, I will use you in a manner that humans refer to as 'chew toys' for their domesticated animals."

Cid, Resia and Barret laughed as Cait Sith remained perched on Nanaki's back, stubbornly folding his arms across his chest. "No can do, Red XIII. We gotta stick together if we're gonna survive this."

"We're in pretty deep shit now," Barret implied. "Ninja's in Wutai started rebelling just now, and we ain't got any idea if the Princess Brat is even alive."

"Yuffie…" Nanaki replied solemnly. "What about Vincent?"

"As usual, we don't know where he's at," Cid said with a roll of his eyes. "Without a phone, he's just as bad as Cloud, except spike-head actually has one and doesn't answer it."

"This is quite disconcerting," commented Nanaki.

"There's more," Cid gravely informed. "Now each of us has a price on our heads."

Nanaki's eye widened. "A bounty? Why would the Empire want their hands on AVALANCHE?"

"Dunno," said Barret, "but we've been running from them all night. We came to pick you up, because now they're after you."

_Commander Liot_, Nanaki realized. _That's why he wanted to see me._ "The people are in great danger then. If they realize that I'm gone, the Empire will probably hold them hostage in exchange for my life…. I should…. I should turn myself in."

"Like hell you are!" Cid protested, and Nanaki growled as Cait Sith gave him a smack on the head. "I've seen those guys operate, Red," said Cid. "Turning yourself in now…you might as well just leave those people standing over a volcano pit."

"It won't be long until the Empire discovers this cave," Nanaki countered.

Resia spoke up for the first time. "After we get back to Captain Highwind's hometown, we have to come up with some kind of strategy to strike back. Even if we can get assistance from Wutai, the fact of the matter is, we don't know enough about the Empire to fight them."

"Yeah, where did they come from?" Cid questioned. "Who else is out there?" These were questions that had been floating in the back of their brains for the past fifteen some-odd hours.

"If we can talk to Reeve," Cait Sith suggested, "he can probably help us, since the Empire took control of Shin-Ra Inc. and all."

"That means they have the W.R.O too," Cid replied.

_The World Regenesis Organization,_ Nanaki thought. It was privately funded by Cait Sith's inventor, Reeve Tuesti, but it was still a separate association that belonged to Shin-Ra, as Reeve was under their employ. It was created after Meteorfall to see over the rebuilding of all that had been destroyed, and was also in charge of shutting down all of the Mako reactors. It had it's own militia as well, but Nanaki was sure it was not nearly strong enough to stand up against the Empire.

"Wutai, W.R.O…" Barret counted them off on his fingers. "Wutai has an element of surprise, but they lost to SOLDIER in the Wutai-Shinra war, and the Empire has SOLDIER now. That's a plus for them, minus one hundred for us."

Cid plopped himself onto the ground. "We're screwed."

"Where is Tifa?" Nanaki asked.

"Edge," Barret answered. "I already called her. Enough drama has been happening on her end without the Empire adding it's own problems. She's the one who told us about the bounties, but before that, Marlene and Denzel were kidnapped by some kooks." Nanaki noted how Barret clenched his fist tightly when concerning the subject of his adopted daughter's safety.

"Are they all right?"

"Marlene is," Barret replied with a quiet sigh. "Cloud went to go get them, but wasn't able to rescue Denzel. She couldn't tell much more. Because of the bounty, she had to hurry up and go into hiding under Seventh Heaven. Damn, am I glad she rebuilt the old hideout after Meteor."

"Why would anyone want to kidnap Denzel and Marlene?" Nanaki wondered aloud. Old enemies from two years before, perhaps? He could only imagine how hard Tifa must have been taking it, knowing that her adopted son was missing amongst a world crawling with destructive Imperials.

His own thoughts were cut short however, as a startling explosion shook the cave. Screams filled his ears, and when he opened his eye, Cid, Barret, and Resia had already run out of the tent to investigate.

A dog-like yelp escaped him as the robot toy on his back kicked him hard in the sides. "Giddy up, Red! We have to help them!"

Fangs bared and the fur bristling along his spine, Nanaki took off at a run out of the tent. The Cosmo Canyon evacuees ran about in a frenzy; women clutching their children and running towards the back of the massive cave while armed men ran towards the front…only to be met by a merciless barrage of red blaster fire.

"I doubt Cosmo Canyon weapons will be able to penetrate that armor," said Cait Sith regrettably.

"You should leave while you can," Nanaki suggested. "I will turn myself over to them."

He received another smack on the head from the feline robot. "How many times do we have to tell you-,"

"Great Guardian! Help me!"

Cait Sith cried out in surprise as Nanaki took off again, nearly falling off of the creature's back. Nanaki stopped as he found Cid and the others, who stood with their weapons poised but unmoving. Gathered before them was a small army of stormtroopers, commanded by a uniformed man with black hair and uncaring black eyes. His expression was confident as he gripped Vesh by his hair and held a small blaster pistol to the boy's temple.

"Release him, Liot!" Nanaki barked, spreading his four feet apart and glowering at the enemy.

"Insurgents of AVALANCHE," began Commander Liot. "Surrender yourselves to the Empire, and the destruction of your people may cease."

"Peh," Barret spat. "As if we're gonna believe that!" His artificial arm, which had now transformed into a weapon that only vaguely resembled a machine gun, was aimed at the Commander's direction.

"Yeah, let the kid go, and we might just go easy on your asses," Cid added with a cocky grin. He jutted his spear forward in a taunt.

It was only now that Nanaki took notice of the weapons in Resia Tomebar's possession. She pointed a simple handgun at the Imperials, but at her side was a broadsword that remained unsheathed. "I wouldn't get Captain Highwind angry if I were you," she advised with a smile. "He has quite the temper."

"_Four_," Liot laughed, and Nanaki winced as Cait Sith's hands pulled on his mane, obviously angered over not being included among AVALANCHE's numbers. "I have over three dozen men here, you stupid creature," Liot sneered, "and more coming. You may just have a chance if you surrender yourselves now."

"You know," Nanaki remarked, his golden eye falling on Vesh as a harsh green energy enveloped the boy's arm, "There is a very good reason why our group is considered the most dangerous of institutions… even your Empire must know why."

A ball of flame erupted from Vesh's palms, and with a blood-curdling scream, Liot was thrown backwards, his entire uniform set aflame. Blaster and gunfire alike exploded, and Nanaki had already pounced on a stormtrooper and tore out his neck with his claws when he yelled, "Just run away, Vesh!" The boy complied and while defending himself with his Fire materia, was able to escape into one of the cave's array of tunnels.

Nanaki's eye was set on a stormtrooper with his back turned to him, trying to shoot Resia. The red haired pilot was doing extraordinarily well at jumping away from the laser shots and retaliating with her handgun. Even if she managed to get some shots in, however, he knew it would not be enough to penetrate that armor.

The stormtrooper screamed in fright as Nanaki attacked him from behind, raking his claws into the man's back. Resia shouted a 'thank you' to him before running off after Cid, who was heading towards one of the exit tunnels. Nanaki made pursuit, and soon enough he felt Barret following him, covering Nanaki's flank with his gun-arm.

"Why are we leaving?" Nanaki asked the dark-skinned man as he ran.

"I heard one of them plastic guys call for more help just now," Barret replied, turning to shoot before running some more. "Are your people going to be okay?"

"There are other caves in the canyons stocked with extra supplies that they know to evacuate to," Nanaki replied. 'However, the main road to Rocket Town may be dangerous. I'll take you to a hidden path that goes directly through the Nibel Mountains."

A wary look came from Barret. "Nibelheim?"

"I doubt we'll have to pass through the town directly…"

"Whatever gets us to Rocket Town," Barret decided.

* * *

Reno scratched his head in confusion as he stood staring at the panel of buttons in the elevator – no, the prissy guy at the hangar said it was called a turbolift. He could still remember the arrogant disgust on the man's face when Reno arrived, summoned by the Imperials to give some kind of report. The ride through outer space was pretty sweet though, but did the welcoming committee have to be so sour? Reno couldn't help it if his good looks outshined everyone else's on this space boat…

"I think it would be the fifth level," mocked a voice behind him.

Reno rolled his eyes. Oh yeah, them. The prissy guy insisted that two stormtroopers follow him around. Apparently, he didn't trust Shin-Ra employees around Imperials or something or other; who knew? Either way, the plastic guys behind him only needlessly reminded that he couldn't read the glowing labels on the turbolift's buttons.

_Damn chocobo-scratch,_ he thought grudgingly. There were buttons everywhere…any of them could be the elusive 'fifth level', no matter where he started counting. Starting at the bottom in the right most column, Reno counted up five buttons and clicked that one.

"That's the med-level," informed the stormtrooper without any particular emotion, but Reno took it as sarcasm.

With a groan, Reno turned to look at them both. "Yes, thank you."

"You presence was requested on the fifth level," said the other stormtrooper, mockingly emphasizing, "_Sir_."

"Look," Reno sighed. "Can you two _gentlemen_ just accompany me to the med-level for a minute please? Then you can go ahead and direct me to wherever it is the fifth level is located." Reno turned away from the two Imperials. Now that the elevator – no, turbolift, was moving, he might as well just get acquainted with the med-level. He had a feeling he would be spending a lot of time there in the near future…

Reno blinked. It stopped, already? A minute hadn't even passed! Was the elevator – _turbolift_! Was the turbolift that fast, or was the med-level just really close? Reno's red eyebrows were furrowed as the doors hissed open, revealing impeccable white hallways. Reno walked out with his hands in his jacket pockets while the two stormtroopers marched behind him. The halls were empty, and the red-haired Turk whistled a cheerful tune that echoed across the walls, bouncing back to his ears.

"We have quite a few injured troops on this level that would appreciate the silence, sir," remarked the second stormtrooper. His voice was deeper than that of the other stormtrooper, less confident, but still mocking. Reno found it odd how most of them would say nothing at all, and yet some stormtroopers would go out of their way to make him feel inferior.

Reno stopped in front of a random door on the left side of the hall, ceasing his whistling. Raising a crimson eyebrow, he pressed his ear to the door. Was that voice on the other side familiar or what?

The same stormtrooper shifted his weight onto his left leg and idly gripped his blaster rifle. "I'm not sure if your people have them, but a _civilized_ society stresses manners."

Reno scoffed, but continued to listen. Someone inside exclaimed, "Ouch!" but the familiar voice explained, "If you would just stand still Isis, it wouldn't hurt so much. In fact, I don't think it's supposed to."

Reno smirked. _Naomi._ So all hope for Shin-Ra wasn't lost after all. One of the two stormtroopers pushed a button on the door's panel, and with a yelp Reno fell through the room as the door slid open, landing on his stomach. He growled as the stormtroopers laughed insultingly behind him.

Naomi sat on a bench in front of a girl with silver hair he did not recognize. Both of them were looking at him in surprise as Naomi exclaimed, "Reno! Are you all right?"

"Splendid, Nae," he grunted as he pushed himself off of the floor. Reno made a motion to dust off his jacket, only to find that not a single spec of dirt had contaminated it. Walking over to her, his eyes fell on the other woman, and while she stared at him with bored indifference, Reno's pale turquoise eyes widened in shock.

"S-she's not…" Reno began, looking at Naomi, "with Kadaj's gang…is she?"

Naomi answered, "No, Reno, she's fine." The girl gave her a confused look, asking, "Who's Kadaj?" but Naomi merely shook her head replying, "No one, Isis. Don't worry about it." Isis visibly frowned, looking away from the other woman.

"He is to report to the proper-," began the second stormtrooper.

"I am the one who requested his presence," Naomi interjected. "Thank you."

The stormtrooper went silent and despite Reno's confused double take, turned away with the other helmeted man and responded, "We'll wait outside, General." Both stormtroopers left the clean room, the door hissing closed behind them. Reno looked back at Naomi, aghast.

"But they wanted me to report to the fifth level-,"

"The med-level _is_ the fifth level," Naomi informed him.

Reno stepped back, his jaw dropping. "Why those little plastic pricks! They were getting their kicks in the whole time!" The Turk paced about the room, tempted to knock something over in frustration. He stopped then, grinning in satisfaction. "Which means I got the fifth level right on the first try without having to read those buttons! Take _that_, stupid chocobo-scratch!"

Isis laughed softly, and Naomi said nothing, spreading a thin layer of translucent blue liquid-gel on a large bruise on Isis' forearm. The young woman winced.

"I'm telling you Isis," Naomi argued, "this isn't supposed to hurt, they said so!"

"What is that stuff anyway?" Reno inquired, leaning against one of the white operating tables. He gave a momentary glance to one particular robot that floated about the room, organizing medical supplies in a glass cabinet. Droids, he was sure the Imperials called them.

"They called it 'bacta,'" said Naomi, "some kind of natural gel that makes the healing process faster, but the way this is going with her, I'm considering switching over to materia."

The floating droid then explained in a metallic and emotionless voice, "There are some species who have allergic reactions to bacta, but that should not be problematic with most human populaces."

"Hey, check the expiration date on that stuff," Reno suggested.

Isis gave both Naomi and Reno a dismissive wave. "Ah, it'll heal fine by itself. Don't bother wasting perfectly good materia energy on a little bruise."

Naomi looked down at Isis' forearm and then back at her with disapproval. "That's no _little_ bruise," she assured.

Isis gave the impurity on her forearm an unconcerned glance. "I've had bruises like that before. Two days tops and it'll be normal again."

Reno and Naomi gaped at her, exclaiming in unison, "Two days!?"

Isis shrugged, propping her booted feet up on the bench and leaning back on her elbows. She and Naomi were both out of the black snow attire and back in the clothes they had been wearing earlier in the day, Isis only missing her favored blue jacket, having been damaged earlier beyond repair. Her eyes narrowed in a glare, remembering it.

"Those plastic guys are already treating you like one of their superiors," Reno changed the subject.

Naomi gave him a rueful smile as she moved to put away the tube of bacta. "They don't trust me at all, though. The only reason why I command them is because they haven't had time to re-apportion the Shin-Ra ranks to fit Imperial standards. Plus, there's been talk about sending us to some kind of academy."

"Oh," Reno nodded. "So you want me to give you my report, Nae?"

"That'd be nice if you did," she replied.

"Well, we've got kind of a huge problem now. You know, with the boss being…gone and all, Kadaj's gang is running around kidnapping kids with Geostigma."

Isis sat upright on the bench. "_What?!_"

"That's right," Reno confirmed. "They've been killing Imperials left and right too. I've got a hunch that says they're on their way to Midgar."

Naomi froze. "You mean…"

"They want the head, Nae," Reno confessed in a low voice, mindful that the stormtroopers could be hearing the conversation from outside. "Once they find out that the one we let them have was a decoy, they'll go after the boss."

"Don't worry about the President," the General advised. "I've got that taken care of."

Reno furrowed his eyebrows but then nodded in understanding. Isis protested, "But I thought Shinra was dead!" And what was this _head_ they were talking about?

"He is," Naomi confirmed. "You don't have to worry about it."

Isis stood up, practically knocking the bench over, resulting in an indignant protest from the droid. "Alright," she demanded, "what the hell is going on? Naomi, when Vader first told you that Rufus was dead, you were all upset, and now you're acting as if it never happened! What are you guys talking about and who the hell is Kadaj?"

"You mean," Reno began, peering at her closely, "you don't know about your brothers?"

Isis stepped back, looking incredulous. "Brothers? I don't have any-,"

"It can't be certain _what_ they are to you, Isis," said Naomi. "The fact of the matter is, they are the last remnants of the Jenova Project – of the SOLDIER program, and they're looking for Jenova's head."

Isis' eyebrows knitted together, her face contorting into something between excitement and disgust. "Her…_head_?"

"That's right," Reno answered. Isis swallowed. The Jenova Project…Sephiroth's memories in the Lifestream had shown that to her, and to Vader. Jenova was some kind of Ancient, and Shin-Ra had started experiments to create the ultimate soldier by combining the power of the Lifestream – or Mako – with Jenova's cells. Sephiroth had been the first one created by those experiments, that she was sure of, but where did Kadaj and herself fit into all of this mess?

"Isis," Naomi began, her eyes filling with sympathy. "You have to understand that there are still those with Jenova inside of them walking around. Some of them not only want to see Shin-Ra disappear, but the rest of the world as well, hence the reason why Sephiroth summoned Meteor. Others, like you, get caught in the crossfire of Jenova."

Isis bit her lower lip. "So I'm just some experiment lab rat too?" she growled.

Naomi's blue eyes lit up in worry. "We _all _were. That's what Sephiroth didn't understand. He wasn't the only victim here, yet he took it out on humanity anyway, and it looks like Kadaj is thinking the same way. I don't know what the Empire is going to do about them but-,"

"The files," Isis suddenly interrupted. "Vader said something about them finding secret Shin-Ra files. Maybe that will tell us about Kadaj, and about…me." Her gaze fell to the ground, long silver tresses creating a thin veil around her face.

Naomi could only stare at the girl, but Reno maneuvered over to Isis' side, slinging an arm around her shoulders. Isis looked over at the Turk in a mild glare. "Hey," he consoled, "I met Kadaj you know. I can tell you right now that you don't have to compare yourself to him. He's a real asshole, and you; you're pretty cool and _sane_ as far as I could tell. I've been talkin' to you for ten minutes and you haven't tried to kill me yet." At this Isis grinned, laughing slightly.

"Hey, come on." Reno guided Isis gently towards the room's exit. "Those files are probably classified, but if you really want to see them, then we'll take you."

"Yes," Naomi agreed, following them. "We have to inform Vader about Kadaj anyhow, along with the threat he drags behind him. Sooner or later, the Empire will have to open those files, if they haven't done so already."

Isis stopped, studying the other woman. "You're from Costal del Sol, aren't you?"

"She sure is," replied Reno.

"Why?" Naomi questioned.

"I just noticed it," Isis explained. "You don't have much of their accent, but you roll your R's sometimes. Plus, you've got a neat permanent tan going on there."

"Thank you," Naomi replied. "I haven't visited in ages-,"

"_ATTENTION. ALL PERSONNEL WILL REPORT TO THE MAIN HANGAR BAY IMMEDIATELY. REPEAT: ALL PERSONNEL ARE TO REPORT TO THEIR APPROPRIATE CEREMONIAL STATIONS._"

"Ceremonial stations?" Reno asked, looking up at the ceiling and removing his arm from around Isis' shoulders. "What do they mean by that?"

"I'll ask," Naomi volunteered, exiting the room. Out in the hall, the two stormtroopers had already begun to walk away from their posts as a plethora of Imperial workers rushed down the hallways. "Hey," she called out. "Do you know what's going on?"

Only one of the two stormtroopers turned to answer her. "The Emperor has arrived."


	16. Arrival of the Emperor

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. The only characters that I can claim are General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and any other original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Fifteen: Arrival of the Emperor**

"Well done, Lord Vader. Now we are only hairs away from accomplishing our goal."

Darth Vader walked along side his master, the seemingly aged man in a black shroud whose ghastly and wrinkled face was hidden almost half way by his hood. The Emperor's wooden cane made little sound against the tile as the Sith pair walked at a steady pace away from the shuttle in which Emperor Palpatine was transported. Immaculate rows of Imperial officers stood at attention on either side of them, filling the _Devastator's _main hangar bay.

The Sith apprentice had briefly recounted the events that occurred earlier at the Northern Crater, informing the Emperor of Isis' possession at the hands of Sephiroth's consciousness in the Force, as well as Sephiroth's plan to return to the plane of the living through his 'Reunion.' He did not however tell the Emperor of his own experiences in the Lifestream; his goal to one day acquire its power, his agreement with Sephiroth to duel over the domain, or his encounter with the Force spirit of Sephiroth's last victim: Aerith.

He hadn't sensed it in the Force until they left the Crater, but Vader spent the short downtime he had before the Emperor's arrival in his meditation chamber, where the Force showed him the past. The last of the Cetra knelt at an altar, praying to some power in the Force when Sephiroth dropped down from above, resembling an angel of death descending from the heavens, only to impale the young girl upon his long blade. An image of a materia sphere falling from the Cetra's hair accompanied the vision, along with glimpses of the dreaded Meteor deteriorating above the planet as it withstood an onslaught of the Lifestream itself.

That vision resulted in Vader truly realizing the power the Cetra had over the Force. To be able to summon the Force from the very bowels of the planet to destroy something as monstrous as a fiery planet-sized meteor was knowledge that neither the Jedi nor the Sith had ever been able to take hold of. Of course, Vader shared none of these sentiments with Palpatine either.

Sephiroth had no interest in becoming the Emperor's new apprentice, so Vader ceased the worry about Darth Sidious' intentions for the silver haired warrior. As was Sith custom, Sephiroth would either accept the offer or die. With whatever the silver haired warrior chose, it was inevitable that Vader do battle with him.

Palpatine's voice interrupted Vader's synthetic breathing, as well as his thoughts. "However, the future of New Korriban remains to be decided." Vader turned his head abruptly, a subtle gesture of surprise. With a chuckle, the Emperor responded, "Yes, my friend. This planet now has a name, one that will give further remembrance to our ancient predecessors. This world is on the brink of death. Only the power of the dark side will save it now. After young Sephiroth has joined us, New Korriban will be beacon of Imperial power that will crush the Rebel Alliance at last."

An exhale, and then, "Indeed, Master." All thoughts of killing Sephiroth upon his return were safely hidden by his own mental shields, developed after a countless amount of years serving under the Sith master, but even the slightest hesitation could result in Palpatine breaking through them. "What is it you wish of this New Korriban?"

"We will meet with a select group and discuss it," said the Emperor. "I will give your captain the list of who is to attend, and then we will see about this Reunion Sephiroth speaks of."

* * *

Reno swore as he skidded to a halt in an empty hangar. "If this isn't it, I swear I'm gonna-," 

Isis stopped behind him. "I told you to take a left on that last floor we were on, but you didn't listen to me!"

The red haired Turk whipped around, countering, "Is it my fault this stupid boat had to be _three miles long_!?"

"Calm down, you two," Naomi snapped. Her glowing eyes were fierce as they roamed the hangar. There were no other ships present, and a group of two-dozen stormtroopers practiced marching in rows back and forth from one end of the hangar to another, led by a black uniformed officer. Looking up, she found a hanging, windowed control center for the hanger, where one of the Imperial officers stared down at the three of them, shaking his head in disappointment.

"What do you mean, calm down!?" Isis demanded. "The damn thing is probably over by now, all because _cactuar-brain_ here didn't want to follow the other guys! _'No! Let's take a shortcut instead! This way is much faster!'_"

With a pout, Reno crossed his arms and stared at the ground as he pretended to kick dirt off of the tile. Isis continued, "Now Vader's probably gonna hand our asses to us, all because we missed this guy's arrival, and now I'll never get to see that disk!"

"Hey, calm down, babe," Reno replied. He received a smack on the arm and a "Don't you 'calm down, babe,' me!" Naomi rolled her eyes and looked away, muttering something under her breath about teenage lover's quarrels, though Reno was no teenager. She stared at the open space ahead of her as they bickered, at the barely visible blue shield that protected them from the vacuum of outer space beyond. Naomi sighed.

_I'm in outer space._

A grin escaped her. She remembered a bumbling member of Shin-Ra's board of executives, the head of the Space Program, Palmer. He had always begged the company for more funds, but naturally they ignored his ambitions to explore the universe afar. That is, until Meteor approached and Rufus Shinra devised a strategy to load Shin-Ra's last remaining rocket with the planet's most powerful materia, Huge Materia, in a bold counterattack against Sephiroth's sentence for humanity. Unfortunately, the plan failed, and it seemed as if Meteor had increased in speed towards the planet.

_Violence fuels violence,_ Naomi thought, but then chuckled softly. She was a SOLDIER, and knew that better than most. However, she could not deny the evil of Meteor, the celestial doom that seemed to absorb the anger put against it. She drifted away from her reminiscing as Reno and Isis' bickering became more apparent. What really alerted her attention was the tiny star out in space that seemed to be coming closer and closer…

"_Please clear the area for the incoming vessel,"_ said a bored voice. Isis yelped in surprise and Reno straightened as if being called to attention by General Sephiroth himself. Naomi looked up at the hanging room and nodded at the officer who was shaking his head at them before, now as he spoke into a microphone of sorts. Isis and Reno followed her to the back of the hangar, and she was surprised to find the _Devastator's_ captain hurrying towards them.

"Piett!" Isis burst into a grin, mostly from being able to remember the Imperial's name. Captain Piett however, did not appear as pleased as she was. He had a nervous air about him and his face was grave as he straightened and placed his hands behind his back, facing the hangar's opening.

"The three of you are wanted in the stateroom," Piett informed. Isis' face fell. The captain glanced at Reno, momentarily adding, "Your associates have been summoned as well and are on their way."

"Who's askin'?" Reno questioned, casually looking at his fingernails.

"The Emperor," Piett hissed with a scowl at the Turk, and Reno gulped in response.

Isis covered her face with her hands. "Damn it! This must be for missing out on his welcoming ceremony! Now he's gonna kill us, isn't he?"

Piett shot her a disbelieving glance. "I doubt that."

Reno brightened. "Oh, so he's not like Vader? Ha! I knew he'd be the understanding type!"

Piett's eyebrows rose as he stared straight ahead. The far away spec Naomi had noticed had become close enough to resemble a ship, and it was heading towards the hangar. "I didn't say that," he admitted. "He probably won't be pleased with your tardiness either, so I suggest you go now."

"Well, you're gonna have to take us," Isis replied matter-of-factly. "We have no stinkin' clue as to where anything on this bucket-o-bolts is located, and because of that, we found the main hangar like half an hour after the show ended."

Piett actually turned his head to look at her. "This isn't the main hangar bay."

Isis' face became blank, and Reno threw up his arms, exclaiming, "Oh! Wonderful!"

"Who's in the ship?" Naomi asked with a nod towards the craft that now landed swiftly without trouble in the hangar.

Piett began to walk forward with long and hurried strides. The three natives of New Korriban walked quickly after him as he answered, "The _Virago_ is carrying the only private citizen invited by the Emperor himself to see your planet. Founder of Xizor Transport Systems, Prince Xizor is one of the most powerful men in the galaxy and one of the few respected by the Emperor."

"Sounds like a royal tight ass," Reno muttered.

Piett stopped abruptly and gave the Turk a death glare. "Your behavior here will be nothing less than civilized or you will pay for your disrespect with your head."

"Yes, _mother_," Reno groaned as Piett walked forward again, apparently ignoring the comment. The _Virago_ hissed steam on all sides as a ramp lowered from the small vessel. Naomi found it peculiar that it seemed to resemble the Empire's TIE's, rather than the extravagant space yacht Naomi had envisioned the classy CEO of a transporting company to travel around in. Remembering Shin-Ra Inc.'s own CEO, Naomi frowned, fighting hard to keep her blue eyes from appearing cheerless.

Piett stepped forward to greet the figure that emerged from the ship, and Isis snickered as Reno mimicked the captain's tense and uptight posture with a mocking face expression. However, the tall figure of Prince Xizor immediately snapped them to attention as he spoke.

"Thank you," said the tall, green skinned alien in response to Captain Piett's well rehearsed welcoming. Isis frowned, noticing that the alien held his head up high, not even sparing the captain a glance as he uttered the words.

Naomi was in awe. Prince Xizor was well built, even in his long, dark robes. He stood nearly at two meters effortlessly, and his smooth and chiseled face was accented by a pair of deep lavender eyes. He wore his black hair in a topknot ponytail, and wore a smaller ponytail at the base of his skull. He was the most exotic creature the First Class SOLDIER had ever seen.

She blinked, feeling dizzy. _Wow…if all aliens look like this…_ Naomi held her breath as Prince Xizor's cold gaze fell on the three of them. Reno snorted, and Isis sneezed as the alien approached them.

Xizor stopped in front of Isis (she stood in the middle of the three), his gaze lingering momentarily on Naomi before settling on Isis again. "Captain, you didn't tell me that the Emperor invited others."

Captain Piett stepped towards Xizor, quickly replying, "They are merely natives of the system, your highness, summoned by the Emperor momentarily for questioning, nothing more. If you wish for their presence to be removed, it can be arranged-,"

"Nonsense," Xizor chuckled. "They're charming. Especially these two lovely creatures." He smiled at Isis and Naomi. Isis' lips twisted into a wry contortion and Naomi blushed, her gaze lowering to her feet. Prince Xizor gently took Isis' pale hand and kissed it lightly. She sneezed loudly, pulling her hand back away from his clawed ones.

"Sorry," she apologized, rubbing her nose and blinking her watery eyes. Isis rubbed the hand he had touched, feeling it itch uncomfortably, and barely noticed the pale orange tint Xizor's skin seemed to momentarily take before returning to it's rich, vivid green.

Reno intentionally cleared his throat loudly, and Xizor turned to him. "Yes?"

"Well," said Reno. "We're sorry to leave so suddenly, _your highness,_" he emphasized with a mild glare, "but there's this meeting the _EMP-ER-OR_ wants us to be at, and we don't wanna disappoint him. C'mon ladies," he took Naomi's hand and pulled her away, causing her to nearly stumble as she tried to keep her gaze on the exotic extra terrestrial. Isis needed no push to follow them voluntarily.

"_What the hell is your problem?_" Naomi whispered in a hiss, but then she breathed in, no longer feeling so dizzy. Indeed, what was _her_ problem, acting like a blushing schoolgirl and not a proper General of Shin-Ra's army? She shook her head as Reno pulled her, deciding it was only because she had never seen an alien before.

"I thought you said you needed a guide," Piett called dryly after them.

Reno stopped and Xizor waved dismissively. "Worry not, Captain. I won't mind guiding them to the Emperor." Reno cursed mentally and there was no stopping Naomi from pulling herself free from the Turk's grip and accepting the offer with a giddy smile.

For Reno and Isis, the trip up to the stateroom seemed to go on for days, but for Naomi it was not long enough. As Xizor chatted with Naomi during the trek (mostly about himself), Isis sneezed continuously and felt her arms itch as uncomfortably as her hand had before.

_Damn, just what am I allergic to, anyway?_ she wondered. Behind them, Isis could sense Piett's nervousness and irritation. With a sympathetic look at him she silently mouthed, 'Is it us?' Piett tugged at his tunic's tight collar, eyeing the prince, and Isis grinned before turning back and agreeing to some statement Xizor said that she hadn't paid any attention to.

Xizor finally became silent when they reached the door to the stateroom. It was guarded by two daunting figures clad in red: the Emperor's personal guards. When the door slid open automatically, Xizor allowed Isis and Naomi to enter first, but was more than happy to have Reno and Piett follow behind him. Any irritation the captain and the Turk felt was immediately crushed by the tension of the room. Neither of them mistook the Emperor as he sat at the head of the room's oval shaped conference table, with Darth Vader standing guard behind him.

"Ah, Prince Xizor," said the Emperor, and his large throne-like chair spun slowly to face the prince. Xizor kneeled, as did Piett. After some hesitation, Naomi and Reno did as well, but Isis continued to stand, looking unsure. It was only until she felt Vader's invisible fingers tighten around her throat that she grudgingly complied with the motion, standing only when the Emperor commanded, "Rise."

_He reminds me of Rufus,_ Naomi thought idly, Xizor momentarily forgotten in the face of the powerful figure sitting in front of her. Emperor Palpatine commanded the same respect, and even vaguely resembled the Shin-Ra president with the black hood concealing him, but Naomi could feel the darkness emanating from him and she involuntarily shuddered.

Reno grinned as he found the other end of the table where the rest of the Turks were seated. Rude nodded at him, looking impassive with his sunglasses. Elena wrung her hands nervously, and the last member and leader of the Turks, Tseng, gazed at the red head with dark and serious eyes. With their neat, navy blue suits, Reno appeared out of place with his wrinkled and open one. The tanned skinned Reeve Tuesti sat among them as well, his gray business suit compatible with the Turk's navy. Other Imperials he did not recognize (except for Grand Moff Tarkin) were sitting at the table, including another alien with pale blue skin, short black-blue hair, and glowing red eyes. Unlike the other officers who dressed in gray, this man wore a white uniform, decorated with a countless amount of colorful badges and ranks.

"My liege," began Captain Piett with a lowered gaze to the Emperor, "I also present General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and…" his eyebrows furrowed as he looked at the standing Turk.

"Reno," he cheerfully explained with a nod towards the Emperor. Palpatine frowned, and Reno tensed momentarily before grinning again and looking at the Turks. "…but some of you already know me."

"You may sit," the Emperor replied icily. Reno found a place among the Turks. There were two seats _conveniently _open to either side of Prince Xizor, and Naomi willingly found one. With a scowl, Isis preferred to sit next to Tarkin, who scowled coldly at her just the same.

Captain Piett nervously cleared his throat. "Your highness Xizor, forgive my assumptions of your ignorance, but this is Grand Admiral Thrawn," the blue skinned alien gave the prince a subtle nod, but his demeanor was colder than that of Xizor's himself. Piett motioned to Tarkin, "Grand Moff Tarkin," a brown mustached Imperial, "Admiral Kendal Ozzel, and Director Ysanne Isard." His eyes stopped at a strikingly beautiful human woman with black hair and two white streaks marking her bangs. One of her eyes was an icy blue while the other was a deep red. Xizor offered her smile, and she gave him a tight, cold one in return.

Finally, Piett nodded at the end of the table, "Those are Shin-Ra's Turks, the Investigation Division of the General Affairs Department. Among them is Reeve Tuesti, founder of the World Regenesis Organization and Head of Shin-Ra's Housing and Urban Development Department." Xizor gave them all bored gazes, minus Elena, who blushed deep crimson upon locking eye contact with him.

"Very good, Captain," said the Emperor. "Leave us." Piett bowed and quietly left the room. In a clear voice, Palpatine began, "My loyal visionaries and followers: welcome to New Korriban." All of the Shin-Ra employees, including Isis, gazed in surprise at the planet's new name. "Some of you may know, I took it upon myself to name the world, as it lacked one long before it's discovery at our hands. We are here to debate New Korriban's future, as well as the future of the Galactic Empire."

Darth Vader's monotonous breathing did not seem to disrupt the apprehension as Emperor Palpatine continued, "This planet offers us many resources, and in return we offer it the same. However, it also presents liabilities, most of which we have already disposed of." Reeve, Naomi, and every one of the Turks all frowned angrily, but kept themselves from glaring in the Emperor's direction. Palpatine grinned inwardly at their hate.

"The environment is ill, caused by ages of senseless draining of New Korriban's life energies. The majority of the planet's population is cursed with an ailment known as Geostigma, which I have ordered to be thoroughly researched to find a cure for the non-contagious, yet deadly disease. Small fragments of independent rebel groups hide in many of the major settlements, and worst of all, the planet is eternally scarred by a disaster caused by Shin-Ra's finest warrior: the former General Sephiroth."

Emperor Palpatine carefully placed his wrinkled and scarred hands upon the cool surface of the black table. From a sphere shaped ornament in the center of the table, a clear holographic image of Sephiroth appeared, standing high enough and almost life-sized for all of the occupants of the table to see. "We have received evidence that Sephiroth is not entirely deceased." The faces of the Shin-Ra employees twisted in alarm. "However," the Emperor continued, "Sephiroth will be of no threat to the Empire. When he is found, you will all see that he will aid the Empire in a great many ways."

The Turks silently looked to one another, and Reeve Tuesti found the courage to speak up in a clear and dignified voice. "With all due respect, your highness, Sephiroth will do more harm than good. He is consumed by a vendetta against the human race and wishes to obliterate-,"

"You need not concern yourself over this matter, Reeve Tuesti," the Emperor hissed nastily, causing the other man to shrink back into his chair. Palpatine regarded him with disgust. Tuesti was no different from that insufferable Alderaanian senator, Bail Organa. They even looked somewhat alike. "Lord Vader has that matter under control."

"Your…excellency?"

Palpatine glared at Naomi. "Yes, General Posada?"

"There is a matter of immediate importance concerning Sephiroth, that I felt you must be informed of." Her gaze calmly left the surface of the table and found Palpatine. "Sephiroth has clones."

Every occupant of the room froze, and Palpatine glanced at Isis momentarily before responding, "Enlighten me, General."

"Professor Hojo of the Shin-Ra Science Department was reported to have cloned Sephiroth at least twelve times. Two years ago, Sephiroth summoned the clones with his mind to the Northern Crater, where he was frozen. They brought him the Black Materia, and with it he was able to call Meteor. Those clones were destroyed, but apparently, Hojo's madness knew no bounds. Three, no, four clones still exist."

"Cloud Strife," spoke Vader for the first time.

Naomi nodded, now remembering why the name sounded so familiar before. "Cloud Strife, while not a natural clone, was reported to have his very genetic structure changed to fit that of Sephiroth's. There was another," her eyes took on a sad gleam, "but he's dead now. Other than Strife, three surviving clones, Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz, are attempting to recover Jenova's head. With it, they can resurrect Sephiroth."

"Please, your highness," pleaded Tseng with his toneless voice. "Sephiroth is no asset. He means to destroy all in his way, and I don't doubt for a moment that he means to do harm to the Empire."

"How very intriguing," said Palpatine, completely ignoring the leader of the Turks. "Lord Vader, you mentioned to me that you recovered a mountain of Shin-Ra's files."

"Yes, Master," Vader replied without emotion.

"I would like to see these files once we're through here. I am curious as to the origins of this Jenova you speak of." He stared at Shin-Ra employees. "Would any of you happen to know what this creature is?"

"The Cetra called her the Calamity from the Skies," Reeve explained. "She brought the first Meteor, two thousand years ago, and scarred the Planet. That scar is now what we know to be the Northern Crater. According to the Science Department, Jenova had a number of abilities and was once mistaken for a Cetra herself. Among having incredible regenerative capabilities, Jenova could shape shift at will, and even 'call' complex organisms with her specific cells to her through a form of telepathy, much like Sephiroth called his clones."

"SOLDIER was created in hopes of making an army that would be fused with the strengthening qualities of Mako and the regenerative capabilities of Jenova. Sephiroth was our ultimate SOLDIER, though sadly, he was not informed of his origins." Reeve hesitated. "When…when he learned of the experiments that made him, he began to hate Shin-Ra, and then over time, he began to hate _everything_."

Under his hood, Palpatine grinned, though the rest of the stateroom's occupants looked up at Sephiroth's displayed and slowly rotating holo with mixed feelings of fear, respect, and envy. "Do all members of SOLDIER have Jenova cells?" Palpatine asked.

"Yes," said Naomi with a small nod. " Those strong enough to survive the showerings of Mako and the small Jenova cell injections were accepted into SOLDIER, but Sephiroth was alone when it came to a _complete_ synthesis with Jenova."

"My lord, if I may," Tarkin interjected, and Palpatine nodded. "Concerning the growing threat of the Rebel Alliance, is it possible to strengthen _our_ troops with Mako and arm them with materia to fight the traitors?"

"Ah," murmured the Emperor, "interesting proposal, governor. However, I am not sure I would want to risk a number of our needed stormtroopers in Mako experimentation. As General Posada mentioned, only those strong enough to handle it would not die of the poisoning." He gestured with a hand to Naomi. "Those who are Force sensitive, such as yourself." Naomi furrowed her eyebrows in thought, and then Palpatine turned his chair to Isis' direction. "And how about yourself, my dear? Are you one of Sephiroth's clones?"

Isis was speechless for a moment, but then adamantly declared, "I most certainly am not! Unless…Sephiroth is actually a woman?" The table burst into a strong fit of laughter, and Isis joined it nervously.

"Very well," Palpatine assented. "I suppose we will have to search those files once again to discover your purpose for creation." He turned to face the rest of the occupants. "Now, the Imperial Senate is concerned with the division of Shin-Ra's resources to the Empire…"

_So this is actually a democracy now?_ Naomi could not help but shrewdly ponder. Palpatine sent her a long and penetrating glare, the acid yellow irises of his eyes appearing from under his black shroud. She anxiously swallowed, wondering if the Emperor heard what she was thinking. _Impossible,_ she decided.

"I have decided without the Senate," he casually continued, "that all of Shin-Ra's resources and employees go to the Imperial Navy. All other franchises, such as the World Regenesis Organization may remain in the hands of the private sector, and all materia is to remain illegal. Only the Empire's military may have access to the crystallized Force power. Which brings me to our next item: how far are we from ridding ourselves of New Korriban's insurgence?"

"The region of Wutai is all that is left to be conquered," Grand Admiral Thrawn spoke. "I have studied the art of the Wutaians, and my strategy of eliminating them is almost complete."

"Excellent, Grand Admiral," Palpatine commended.

Leaning forward in his seat to stare at the alien Imperial, Admiral Ozzel inquired, "Humor me, Grand Admiral, as to how exactly defeat of the Wutaians is to come about by admiring their paintings?"

Grand Admiral Thrawn's red and penetrating gaze bore into Ozzel's as he regarded the lower ranking Admiral with a frosty and thin smile. "They are proud, Admiral Ozzel. They are proud and brilliant in the art of stealth and assassination. They have mountains in which they have carved the faces of their gods to demonstrate their power and pride, and their capital is arranged in a graceful and intricate system of architecture, albeit simple in design. I plan to use their own methods of stealth against them, which will hide our own presence when used. There is a saying that you may be familiar with: fight fire with fire."

"You could simply destroy them with planetary bombardment," suggested Ozzel, "instead of wasting precious time."

"Ah," countered Thrawn, "but the Wutaians are used to sheer strength and power against them. They have learned from their defeat at the hands of SOLDIER, am I correct, General Posada?"

Naomi closed her eyes and nodded, memories of the meaningless war flashing through her mind. "Yes. Another victory for Shin-Ra at the hands of Sephiroth."

"You must not doubt the Grand Admiral," Tarkin chastised Ozzel, "he has repeatedly taken care of the many threats in this part of the Unknown Regions for quite sometime without failure. I am quite sure he will be able to handle these uncivilized savages without difficulty."

"Don't mistake them for savages just yet," Thrawn warned. "They are far more clever than you may think. Have any of you wondered how it is they have not mastered space travel, and yet have devised a process of perfected cloning, and even the extraction of pure energy from the core of the planet? I certainly have, my friends, and I would not underestimate the populace of New Korriban just yet."

"Indeed," Vader agreed.

Frowning, Admiral Ozzel questioned, "So then how is the search coming along for the terrorist group?"

"AVALANCHE is being taken care of personally by a hired bounty hunter," Tarkin said with satisfaction lining his tone. As if on cue, the bounty hunter himself entered the room, his helmeted gaze falling on Tarkin immediately. "Why, hello, Fett," said Tarkin in mild surprise.

Boba Fett turned towards the Emperor and kneeled, "Forgive me for intruding." The Emperor shook his head and waved dismissively. Fett stood and looked to Tarkin once again. "I'm demanding a higher price on the head of Vincent Valentine."

Grand Moff Tarkin frowned. "His priority level is for second to last."

"Then make it higher," Fett ordered coldly. He stared momentarily at the holo of Sephiroth. "If you don't, then you'll raise the prices on the other heads or I'm not finishing the job."

Tarkin clenched his teeth and was ready to snap back, but Vader cut in, "As you wish. We will double the prices on the heads of AVALANCHE, but you will pursue Cloud Strife _first._"

Boba Fett met Darth Vader's stare without hesitation or fear and then nodded. "Fine. You'll have Strife's body here first thing in the morning." Without another word the bounty hunter left the stateroom, leaving them to continue.

"Well…" thought the Emperor out loud. "I think that will be all for now. You are all dismissed." Slowly, he stood and while leaning on his black cane, motioned at Isis. "Child. Come with me."

* * *

The stateroom room was empty save for the employees of Shin-Ra. Reno anxiously rapped his knuckles along the table, staring at the empty space that once occupied Sephiroth's holo. "What do you all make of this?" 

Reeve Tuesti massaged his tired face. "It seems were are left with a small amount of choices. Unless we can convince the Emperor that Sephiroth is-,"

"Maybe he _wants_ Sephiroth to destroy everything?" Elena interjected. "All these Imperials…they like blowing things up and what not." The female Turk lowered her head to stare sadly at the table, and her blond hair fell like a curtain around the sides of her face.

"Well, whether we like it or not, we're Imperials now," Tseng stated in a blunt manner that stung the others. "We should make the best of it while we can and still do our jobs, just like before. Nothing's really changed. We just have a new boss."

Naomi leaned back in the same chair she had been sitting in before. "We still have to do something about Kadaj. He'll do harm to the Empire, that's for sure, whether he brings Sephiroth back or not."

"Let Vader know," said Rude. He stood behind Reno's chair, his arms folded across his chest in a body guard-like manner. "Tell him where Kadaj is going."

"Midgar, I think," Naomi replied. "Without Rufus to talk to, he'll probably come to me, or you Tseng, or maybe even you, Reeve. Let's lure him to Midgar, where Imperial presence is the strongest."

"Sounds like a plan," Reno agreed. "What about the head?"

Naomi's eyes shifted as she searched in a paranoid way for surveillance devices. Whispering, she answered, "I'll have it removed from the monument. Reno, in the meantime, you and Rude make Kadaj _think_ it's still there. That'll buy us some time."

Nodding, the Turks stood, as well as Reeve. "You go talk to Vader, yo," Reno finished.

* * *

Isis was in a separate room she had never seen on the ship before. The Emperor sat in front of her, staring at a number of screens. Most of them displayed information in the script that neither she, nor any of the natives of New Korriban would be able to understand. Darth Vader stood a ways from her, his arms crossed over his armored chest in brooding of sorts. His breathing made her anxious, and she shifted uncomfortably in her stance. 

"Now child," spoke the Emperor, not turning to face her in his high-backed seat. "It is time for you to know why the Force has brought you to me. I have foreseen this moment. You found Sephiroth in the place where the Force gathers. He has shown you his next step, but that it not merely the extent of your purpose as a marionette in his cause."

Her eyes darkened, the black feline slits of her pupils narrowing further. "Marionette?" she questioned, anger lining her voice.

The Emperor cackled, making Isis shiver as the amused laughter echoed across the mostly empty room. The other Imperials that worked at the other workstations glanced nervously in Palpatine's direction before returning to their work. "Jenova is a fascinating creature. Pure darkness, hate, and contempt, Jenova ventured to this world to destroy the light, and even in her destruction, the darkness lived on in the forms of others with her cells. You child, are _not_ Sephiroth's clone."

Isis gulped, but let out a shaky sigh of relief. At least _that_ much was certain. A small grin escaped her. _And Sephiroth isn't a woman._ Isis couldn't help herself. She needed to laugh at _something_ while she dealt with all of the anxiety and fear of the moment.

"This file explains all," continued Palpatine. "The specimens originally known as numbers 14, 15, and 16 awakened prior to Meteor's destruction, to carry out a back up plan set forth by Jenova. Would you like to know what Geostigma is, child?"

Isis shrugged. "I've only been looking for the cure for two years…"

"Oh?" Palpatine's chair turned so that he could see her clearly.

"I was sent after Meteorfall to find it," she explained, "by the orphanage I lived in. All the kids are dying from it. Didn't have much luck finding it though."

"What you were _really_ searching for child, was yourself." In response to Isis' surprised look, Palpatine murmured, "Yes… Jenova is the reason why Geostigma exists. It is her answer to the planet's attempt to destroy her precious work. The remnants of her cells will reunite in an attempt to seize New Korriban once again. Sephiroth is her weapon of choice. _You_ are her shell, created to carry her consciousness when you join the Reunion. Just as number 16 is meant to carry Sephiroth's."

Isis shook her head. "I don't understand."

"The dark side is the only power that can save your world, and Jenova is the means by which it will be saved. When the time comes, Jenova will emerge from the Force and find her place within her desired host: you, child."

"What?" Isis uttered, the gravity of the statement not hitting her for several moments. "No, that's impossible. It can't be true. Jenova is nothing but a severed head right now. She's practically dead!"

"Search your feelings, child," Palpatine encouraged. He closed his eyes. "Yes…the same rage is bottled up inside of you. You have contempt for creatures of this world, the same that Sephiroth and Jenova do. Use that hate. Channel it and bend it to your will. Only your anger will show you the truth and your purpose for existence."

"I…" Isis turned away. "I don't know what you're talking about. Me, a host for Jenova? That's ludicrous and there's no way I'll _ever_ accept that. Proof! Show me proof!"

Palpatine gestured slowly at the screens. "It is all recorded. See for yourself."

Isis took a hesitant step towards the screens, finding the lone one, which displayed the data in a script she could read. There were many files, and found that she could access them by simply touching the name of the file on the screen.

**Huge Materia**

**_Gelinka_ Crash**

**WEAPON**

**Nibelheim Incident**

**Neo Midgar Project**

**Sister Ray**

**SOLDIER Recruitment List**

**World Regenesis Organization**

**Wutai-Shinra War**

**Cetra Files**

**The Reunion Theory**

She quickly scanned each file, finding the Cetra files to be particularly confusing, as it briefly told of a scientific possibility of surviving Cetra. _Probably hasn't been updated,_ she figured, as the last Cetra, Aerith Gainsborough was killed. It also listed specific classes of Cetra that the civilization was socially divided into, listing Aerith as a Healer and another as a Warrior. Isis did not linger there for long, finding the information there to be unrelated to Jenova. She opened the Reunion Theory file.

'The first Reunion took place in the Northern Crater. Subjects who were forcibly kept from attending, such as Host 1, experienced subconscious acts such as sleepwalking, advanced cerebral activity, and even fits of violence. Host 1 was kept in a civilian inhabited environment for further purposes of research.'

'_Number 16 created today at 0200 hours to serve as Host 2.'_

'_Jenova Reunion proved to be successful. In the event of the Calamity's failure, both Hosts are expected to begin another Reunion to amalgamate with their intended consciousnesses.'_

'_Reported from Shin-Ra's Sector 8 Orphanage: Host 1 is at thirteen years of age and has named herself _Isis Ultima Avonej. _Surname detected to be an anagram of _Jenova_.'_

_'Numbers 14, 15, and 16 have been given accelerated growth. At six months of age, their bodies are functioning as an average human at seven years of age would. Host 2 has named himself Kadaj.'_

Isis expression was solemnly empty as she inquired, "Why did you tell me all of this?"

"Attend the Reunion," Palpatine pushed. She turned and angrily answered, "No! I don't have to follow any of this crap! You're looking for Sephiroth aren't you? There's only one Jenova's head, and if I fuse with it before Kadaj does, you won't get to see Sephiroth anyway, just Jenova. What the hell do you need Jenova for!?"

Vader turned his head in Palpatine's direction. Indeed, what did his master know about Jenova that they did not? The Sith Lord braced himself as he sensed the anger rising in the Emperor. However, as Vader expected the Force lightning to erupt from Darth Sidious' hands to strike the disrespectful Jenova host, Piett burst into the room, panting.

"My lord!" The three of them irritably turned to face him and he explained, "Analysis of Rufus Shinra's body has been completed!"

"_And_?" Palpatine growled.

"It seems that the body's genetic structure does not match what is on record for Rufus Shinra. Lord Vader, the man you killed was a decoy, a Shin-Ra employee infected with Geostigma by the name of Domino. Rufus Shinra is still alive!"


	17. Advent Children

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. The only characters that I can claim are General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and any other original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Sixteen: Advent Children**

_Fenrir_ came to a stop, bringing brown dust up into the air as Cloud dismounted the motorcycle and proceeded to the edge of the cliff that over looked the wasteland where Loz and Yazoo had first attacked him, and where he first encountered Darth Vader. Close to the edge of the cliff lay a large and extremely wide sword, similar in appearance to Cloud's despite the countless amount of battle scars and scratches that decorated it.

Cloud walked at a steady pace towards the sword and the cliff's edge, the harsh winds beating hard against his face. Three sets of tracks, none of them matching _Fenrir_'s tires, made Cloud frown upon seeing them close to the sword. Barely a day old, the tracks were evidence that they belonged to Kadaj, Yazoo, and Loz. With a sad sigh he reached down and grabbed the sword by its long hilt, lifting the massive weapon without trouble before thrusting its tip into the ground.

He inhaled the crisp morning air, glaring momentarily at the possibility of Kadaj kicking the sword down in deliberate spite. Cloud spoke to the howling air: "I said I'd live both our lives. It was easier to make that promise."

"To think," he continued with a said smile, "that I felt more complete pretending I was you, than living my own life." Cloud gazed ahead at the ruined Midgar. The dismal and gray sky was a backdrop to the city that Cloud did not observe, far too deep in the sea that was his past.

"_You wanna be in SOLDIER?"_ Zack had asked him more than seven years ago. _"Work hard!"_

Cloud's body began to ache with pain from Geostigma as well as pain from his own memories. Before the destruction of his hometown at Sephiroth's hands, Cloud's claustrophobia often prevented him from achieving the SOLDIER status that he hoped for. Zack often helped him through bouts of nausea. _"Hey, you okay?"_

He gripped his left arm, clenching his teeth as more pain rippled through his limb. After Nibelheim, Hojo of the Shin-Ra Science Department took Cloud and Zack for experimentation where they were forcibly injected with Jenova's cells and had their very DNA changed to match Sephiroth's. Zack was able to get them to escape, therein after they hitchhiked to the biggest city on the planet. _"So, what're you gonna do once we get to Midgar?"_

"_We're friends, right?"_

"_Cloud! Run!"_

Cloud fell to his knees. Zack never lived to see Midgar again, nor his girlfriend at the time, Aerith Gainsborough. He was shot down by Shin-Ra's troops on the very cliff on which Cloud currently stood, where he kept Zack's old Buster Sword as a memorial to him. Cloud's eyes widened, the ocean blue becoming a violent jade and his round pupils transforming into feline slits. The moment passed as soon as it had arrived, however, and Cloud could not mistake the strange and familiar pull towards Midgar, urged by the part of his mind that once belonged to Jenova, and to Sephiroth.

"Reunion," Cloud gasped. Sweat drenched his face as his now normal eyes stared at Midgar. There was once a time when Cloud's life was torn between living the life that was stolen from Zack and following the commands of Jenova, but today, after two years of searching, he found the life that belonged only to Cloud Strife.

* * *

"_Attention Edge! We have important news!"_

With her knees close to her chest as she sat, Tifa turned one of the radio's knobs to raise the volume. The Empire had closed down all of the local news stations, deeming them inadequate and unnecessary for the civilians at the present time. Underground radio stations hidden from the Empire now brought the Midgarians news instead, until the Imperials would eventually find them as well.

Marlene sat behind her on the blue mat that spanned the entire hidden basement of Seventh Heaven, accessible only my means of the small lift on the first floor that was disguised as an out of order pinball machine. After Cloud left Marlene in Tifa's care, the two hid there in the former hideout for AVALANCHE, in fear of both Tifa's bounty and the possibility of Kadaj coming to reclaim Barret's daughter. Cloud did not remain with them, as both he and Tifa agreed that all of the AVALANCHE members should remain separated. She had still received no further news from Barret or Cid.

_"It appears that there is a hostage situation forming in Monument Circle, where two unnamed terrorists are holding the previously missing group of children captive-,"_

"Denzel!" Marlene exclaimed, leaning forward in hopes of hearing hidden details.

Tifa stood, here hands clenching and unclenching together in anxiety. _" – approximately thirty children all together, from regions including Edge, Junon, and even Wutai. A massive amount of parents and volunteers are confronting the terrorists themselves in hopes of reclaiming their children. While Imperial presence is gathering to remove the threat of the terrorists and the potential riot, wait – ARRAAGHH!!!"_

The radio screamed as the frequency twisted into a combination of monstrous shrieks, gunfire, and helpless cries before dying with static. "By the Cetra…" Tifa gasped.

"Is Denzel going to be all right?" Marlene whimpered, looking up at Tifa in concern. The older woman knelt down and took Marlene by the shoulders, looking into the girl's eyes with utmost seriousness.

"Do not leave the store, Marlene," she ordered. "Keep the doors locked and the windows covered, and _do not_ open the door to anyone who knocks. Your daddy has a key and so does Cloud. If the stormtroopers try to come in, hide in here as quickly as you can, and don't make a sound." Tifa stood to access the lift. "I'm going to get Denzel."

She could only offer Marlene a small smile as she ascended on the small lift, standing in front of the pinball machine. Marlene's cheeks flowed with tears in fear for Tifa and in fear for Denzel. The adrenaline already coursing through her veins, Tifa burst out of Seventh Heaven's back entrance, making sure to leave it locked before beginning her navigation through the back alleys where Imperial burden was the lightest.

All she had to do was follow the distant screaming. When she arrived, Monument Circle was in chaos. Standing at the base of the cylindrical monument built in memorial for those who had perished with Meteor were Yazoo and Loz, summoning shadowcreepers without difficulty. Standing in a circular perimeter around the monument were the children, calm and seemingly unaware of the rioting. Tifa plunged herself into the disorder, frantically looking everywhere as shadowcreepers took down civilians and stormtroopers alike.

Her eyes spotted a boy gazing at the ground with the other orphans and children, his auburn-brown hair sticking out amongst the crowd. "Denzel!" she cried, panting. After nimbly leaping away from blaster fire intended for a shadowcreeper that melted into the ground (it reappeared behind it's attacker later to devour him), Tifa made a run for it towards the monument and towards Denzel, only to smack right into a white solid being that had suddenly appeared. She nearly fell back from the motion.

"Civilian. You are to return to your place of residence. Everything is being taken care of here."

Tifa looked up at the stormtrooper as he blocked her way, her eyes filling with panic. "That's my son over there! I need to take him-,"

"Return to your home at once, civilian," ordered the stormtrooper as he pointed his blaster rifle at Tifa. She gasped and stared at the weapon momentarily. "Okay, okay," she quickly replied, turning away in compliance.

Then suddenly Tifa dropped to the floor and swung her leg at the stormtrooper's feet, tripping him as he was caught off guard. The Imperial landed with a cry and Tifa flipped off of the ground with her hands. The stormtrooper's neck crunched sickeningly as her steel-toed boots landed to twist it.

Tifa looked around for more enemies, fearing that another Imperial had seen her kill one of their own. Fortunately, the shadowcreepers had them all preoccupied, and civilian control was out of their hands. Finally, Tifa reached Denzel, but even as she shook the nine year old's shoulders, he would not respond.

"Denzel," she tried gently at first, but there was no stopping the desperation from rising in her voice. "Denzel!" The boy lifted his head slightly, but the sight of his eyes horrified Tifa. The soft and caring blue of them were gone, only to be replaced by a pair of eyes she remembered seeing through the fires that burnt her home to the ground; eyes that took pleasure in killing her father.

"No," she sobbed. "This can't be happening…" One glance at a child next to Denzel confirmed that the eyes of all of the children were now the same. "_NOOO!!!_" Her agony went unheard among the cacophony of other screams, but unnoticed by Tifa, Denzel's eyes flickered to normality for a fraction of a second in response to his mother's distress…

On the opposite side of the Meteorfall monument, Reno had just fried a shadowcreeper with the lethal voltage of his electro-rod. It's body sizzled on the pavement and melted to inky blackness, permeating a melted tire-like smell into the air that made the Turk want to gag.

"Reno!"

The flame haired Turk found Rude, who was pointing at the monument. There, Yazoo and Loz pulled on separate metal chains attached to the top in hopes of bringing the monument down to the ground. With a confident smirk, Reno shouldered the electro-rod and casually approached the monument with Rude following behind him.

"And what are we up to?" Reno asked, alerting the attention of the two silver haired brothers.

Yazoo glared at the Turks before pointing back at the monument. "We know. Mother is _here_."

"Oh, yeah?" Rude challenged.

"Yeah," said Loz, sounding certain. However, he gave an uncertain glance up at the monument. "This…thing, monument thing. Shin-Ra made it."

"Oh no," chuckled Reno as he gave his temple a gentle tap. "You're just too clever," he mocked.

"Except," said Rude, "you're wrong."

Reno nodded. "And wherever she is, we just don't know."

Reno threw his head back and laughed. Surprisingly, the usually stoic Rude accompanied him with a deep-throated one. Of course they knew where Jenova was; Naomi gave it back to Rufus…that was the _real_ reason why they were laughing. When news came to them about Rufus being alive, they could not react much in front of the Imperials without risking execution. This was Reno and Rude's chance to show their joy.

"What?" asked Yazoo, taking a step forward. "The Shin-Ra peons aren't trusted?"

The grin fell from Reno's face as he growled at Yazoo. Looking back at Rude, Reno gave the other an appalled look, and Rude loosened his tie while clenching his fist at the insult. Bringing his electro-rod back in preparation for a strike, Reno charged at Yazoo and Loz with an enraged cry.

* * *

Before the arrival of the Empire, a tall skyscraper was mid-way to completion in one of the industrial districts of Edge. Kadaj stood on the building's unfinished thirteenth floor and approached the un-walled edge, which overlooked Monument Circle not a city block away. Kadaj passed an amount of support beams before reaching the floor's edge, where a wheel chaired figure sat, staring at the unimpressive skyline and the distant shapes of the Star Destroyers orbiting the planet.

"My, my," said Kadaj as he placed a gloved hand on the back of the wheelchair. It's occupant turned slightly under the white hood it wore. "You really _are_ a hard man to get rid of, aren't you? First WEAPON, then Geostigma…I suppose that not even that Darth Vader character will stop you from keeping Mother from me."

"I'm sorry to disappoint," said the shrouded man in the wheelchair with a sarcastic edge to his tone. "I'm just surprised that even you were fooled by Domino's act."

"They always said that the former mayor of Midgar held some resemblance to you, Mr. Shinra."

Rufus Shinra replied with a bored sigh, "Domino was a distant family member, which was why he was given the mayor position, but as you may know, he really held no political power. Whatever bitterness he felt towards the company because of that doesn't matter now. With Geostigma taking it's toll on him, he was more than happy to pose as President for a day. He served his purpose well in the end."

Kadaj noticed with a quick glance the black blemishes on Rufus' revealed right hand, the only skin that was not concealed by the white blanket. "You even fooled your own bodyguards," answered Kadaj, sounding impressed. "Even your General - that poor excuse for Sephiroth's replacement."

"No," murmured Rufus. "Naomi was well informed…" His Geostigma-blemished hand twitched slightly as he briefly remembered meeting with Naomi not two hours earlier…

"Well," said Kadaj as he stepped away from the wheelchair to observe the city. "None of that matters now anyway. There's only one thing that concerns me."

The hollow and empty construction site made the sudden monstrous breathing echo throughout the vicinity. Kadaj turned in alarm as a deep voice inquired, "Reunion?"

Kadaj's hand was on the hilt of the sword sheathed behind him, but Rufus did not react to the stranger, nor did he even turn from viewing the disruption at Monument Circle. Upon seeing Darth Vader approaching them, Kadaj released the grip on his weapon and greeted, "Why, it's you! I've heard so much about you lately!"

Vader continued forward, his only response being that of his suit's synthetic lungs. When he was a good two or three meters away from Kadaj and Rufus, he stopped. Kadaj's right eye glared hatefully at the Sith Lord from the parting of his neck-length platinum hair.

"Tell me, " said Kadaj. "Where is my sister?"

"You no longer have to worry about Jenova's host," Vader answered as he held up a silver chain for Kadaj to see, on its end, which hung a dull, and lifeless materia orb.

Kadaj's eyes widened in horror. "No…you didn't…how could you!" An unseen and evil grimace came from behind Vader's helmet in spite of Kadaj's distress. This was exactly the reaction he was hoping for from the young clone. The sooner Kadaj was enraged, the sooner Vader could destroy him.

The man in the wheelchair inquired, "Jenova's host?" Though there was genuine curiosity in his voice, Vader could not detect any amount of concern or fear from the true President of Shin-Ra.

"Sister could have brought Mother back!" Kadaj yelled, beginning to pace impatiently behind Rufus' chair. "How dare you!"

Vader ignored his griping. "Where is the head, Shinra?"

A surprising and mocking chuckled issued forth from the disabled executive. "Why Vader," he replied, mocking ignorance, "did the General you _stole _from me not tell you?"

Vader glared. _This_ Rufus was exceedingly more arrogant than the late Domino. It angered Vader, as a decoy had not tricked him since before he was ten years of age…

_**I **am Queen Amidala…_

As Vader shook the ghostly echo from his mind, he threatened, "I can easily send you to the grave of your doppelganger, Shinra."

"No!" Kadaj objected as Vader raised his arm to Force choke Rufus. "Then we won't know where he's keeping Mother! Without her, we can't be whole again!"

"That is unfortunate," Vader admitted. "For you." He raised his clenched fingers in Kadaj's direction. "I am here to destroy you before your Reunion can begin."

As he initiated his Force choke, Kadaj's arms enveloped themselves with energy. Vader could see the materia sphere glowing _in_ his arm, as if it were fused with the limb itself. Kadaj growled, "You'll eat those words, human."

"Say, Kadaj," Rufus suddenly interrupted, sounding unconcerned with the display of power from Kadaj and Vader behind him. "Before you make the poor gentleman eat anything, I've got a question for you."

Each sending the other equally powerful glares, Vader lowered his arm for the time being and Kadaj slowly deactivated whatever materia he was planning to unleash at the Dark Lord. With a sigh he turned his back on Vader and stepped towards the edge of the unfinished thirteenth story, staring once in again in the direction of Monument Circle. "Then I suppose I have an answer."

"What did you mean by needing Jenova's cells in order to be whole again?"

Kadaj's gaze was distant; far away from the piercing screams and blaster fire a block away. "_Him_. He's coming back."

"Sephiroth…" Rufus murmured. "The nightmare."

"So they say," Kadaj replied.

"You mean…?"

"I've never known Sephiroth," Kadaj explained. "I just…I sense him there! It's unbearable, to think that Mother might want Sephiroth more than…me."

"Poor little remnant." Rufus' mock-pity tone mirrored Vader's exact thoughts on the situation.

"It doesn't matter who she picks, you'll all meet the same end!" Kadaj angrily promised. "Mother came to this planet after a long journey, to rid the cosmos of fools like you! But, you know as well as I do. Nothing's changed since she got here. I have to change it, to make her happy! If Mother willed it," his glare found Vader, "I would crush the other worlds you humans have poisoned!"

"I doubt that," Vader spat mercilessly.

"So the nightmare returns," Rufus declared.

"As long as you exist," Kadaj explained, "the nightmares will come again and again."

"The Lifestream courses through out planet," Rufus cited, "and undoubtedly the universe as well, back and forth across the borders of life and death. If that cycle is the very truth of life, then history too will inevitably repeat itself. So go on." Rufus' tone became challenging. "Bring your Jenovas and your Sephiroths. It won't matter. Whether we fight you individually, or as a common Empire…" Vader froze. Had Rufus just surrendered? "…We'll do as life dictates, and stop you every single time."

_Well_, thought Vader. _The real Shinra is not as stupid as his poser_.

"Please, sir," Kadaj drawled. "Is that your excuse for going after Mother yourself? You don't seem all that sorry."

"Sorry?" Rufus inquired with surprise. "Why, I've never had this much fun." Vader could sense the slight worry under Rufus' sarcasm. He moved forward, sensing a disturbance in the Force as well.

"Good," Kadaj replied as he turned to face them both. "Then let's put an end to all of this."

Kadaj raised an arm. Within his forearm a materia shone brightly as his limb emitted a harsh, Lifestream-like energy. Under his hood, Rufus grimaced. With a sudden motion, Kadaj turned away and fired the energy into the sky, laughing as the gray clouds above began to gather in a massive amount of destructive power that Vader could not even begin to identify. The screams from the city only worsened as a shape began to form.

Vader activated his lightsaber.


	18. Divinity

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. The only characters that I can claim are General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and any other original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury **

**Chapter Seventeen: Divinity**

The cloud descended upon Monument Circle in the form of a dark funnel. Electricity crackled from it, sending a TIE fighter that had come to investigate through a building. The funnel looked as if it were positioned directly above the monument. The disruption in the square quieted for some moments as Midgarians and stormtroopers alike turned to stare at the thundering cumulous cone.

"We've never had a tornado before," someone pointed out, and then ran away with the few others who had wisely felt the precognitious fear and the approaching catastrophe. All the others who were dealing with the shadowcreepers had no time to see the funnel, even as it expanded outward in the shape of giant wings.

It was as if a figure were trying to mould itself without the help of a sculptor. The wings that were being shaped produced thin weaves of silver as the cloud moisture dissipated. Then the strands multiplied and began to construct leathery black organic tissue. A thunderous roar shook the city as Kadaj's creation burst forth from the clouds, twenty times larger than any TIE fighter of the Empire's creation. If it wished, the winged monster could scale the buildings much like a child scales a tree or jungle gym.

"Behold, Bahamut _Sin_," declared Kadaj before Darth Vader rushed at him, lightsaber aimed at Kadaj's throat.

Down in the square below, the fleeing humans appeared to be nothing more than tiny black ants scurrying back to their colonies as Bahamut Sin glided over Monument Circle. Stormtroopers opened fire upon the creature, but the red blaster bolts seemed to have no effect on the giant monstrosity. It swooped downwards to the Meteor Monument, ignoring the shots entirely.

"We'll have the ships in orbit strike it with the turbo lasers," suggested an Imperial, a General by the name of Veers. As he turned away to contact the Imperials above, a hand pulled him sharply from that direction.

"No!" protested Naomi. "You want to get us _all _killed? If they miss even one shot we'll all be dust down here!"

"Then what do you suggest?" asked Veers, sounding impatient as he folded his arms behind him.

"Heavy ground artillery," she replied, glancing at the sky from their heavily guarded command post, one of the many which blocked off of the entrances into the circle, to keep civilians from entering, and to guide the others out. A mass of people pushed and shoved one another in desperation to escape, and there was little the stormtroopers could do to keep it organized. There was a mass tying to enter the circle as well, each individual having their own reasons, whether it be to find a relative or friend, or to loot the stores within the circle that were left unguarded during the pandemonium.

"We still have some tanks left from this morning's battle outside the city," Naomi informed him, "though I don't think they'd be much of a help unless we can clear the crowds. They'll only slow us down."

General Veers looked thoughtful and then addressed a stormtrooper. "Deploy Shock Troopers. Be sure that they concentrate their fire power on the creature."

"Right away, sir," the stormtrooper complied before running off to spread the new orders.

"Shock Troopers?" Naomi questioned.

"They have specialized training with rocket launchers," Veers explained. "It may take some time for them to arrive, but they'll come by transport and we'll waste less time than with your tanks."

"Then we have to distract it until they get here," she answered.

"And what of the terrorists, and the other creatures?" he asked.

The Shin-Ra General reached to the holsters at her hips and swiftly pulled out the large guns that to General Veers looked too ridiculous to be weapons and far too thick and heavy for her hands to be holding, yet Naomi held them up with familiar and practiced ease.

"What's with the look?" she questioned. She moved her wrist slightly, and the sun glinted off of the materia equipped within the slots of the gun.

"I'd be amazed if you can actually shoot something with those silly-looking weapons," he remarked with a slight sneer.

"Very funny," she replied, "but you don't see me cracking fun at those customized _hair dryers_ you guys fight with."

Veers couldn't suppress the small grin that escaped him, even as his squad of stormtroopers followed Naomi out into the middle of the circle to face the shadowcreepers that just seemed to keep appearing even after they were destroyed.

It was of course because of Yazoo and Loz summoning them, and unbeknownst to them it was through their Jenova-given manipulation of the dark side of the Force. At the Meteor Monument, the children did not so much as even move from their places, and Tifa Lockheart was trying in vain to shake Denzel out of his stupor. A roar from Bahamut Sin above turned her attention to the sky.

"Denzel," she pleaded. "We've got to get away."

A screech. Tifa grimaced and turned with her fist raised, her punch intended for the shadowcreeper that had launched itself in the air to claim her. Tifa was able to see a full view of it's gaping jaws, but nothing more as a black behemoth slammed down in front of her in the very place where the shadowcreeper had been. Her fist fell in mid-punch as she gasped in astonishment. It was Bahamut Sin's _leg_, as tall as the monument itself that had crushed the shadowcreeper. Bahamut Sin roared, and Tifa wrapped her arms protectively around Denzel as they were nearly thrown down by the monster's very breath.

Reno was just feet away from Yazoo. He ran with his electro-rod raised, but then nearly tripped over himself as the ground shook. Still, he regained his balance and swung the rod back, unaware of the sudden 'oomph!' that came from Rude behind him, from accidentally hitting the other Turk. As Rude held his nose in pain, Reno's attention was on Bahamut Sin, as it had suddenly leaped onto the top of the monument. The red head gaped at it, momentarily forgetting about Loz and Yazoo.

"Oh," he laughed nervously, "Hello…"

"Hell no…" Rude moaned while rubbing his nose.

Bahamut Sin flew upwards and opened up its mouth. Inside a ball of fire-like blue energy began to form. Seeing the flare, Reno swiftly turned away, nearly hitting Rude with the electro-rod again (Rude found the reflexes to duck) as he began to run in the other direction. The Turk pair grabbed their own separate children and dragged them away from Yazoo and Loz as fast as they could before Bahamut Sin unleashed the flare towards the Meteor Monument. Tifa dove to the ground with Denzel as the monument exploded, sending blue flame, stone and concrete throughout the plaza. The Imperials that had used the opportunity to attack Bahamut Sin while it was on the monument were completely wiped out by the blast.

When Reno and Rude picked themselves up from the ground they threw themselves on, Yazoo and Loz were already attacking them.

* * *

Souba was immediately in Kadaj's hand, and although it could not block Vader's lightsaber without being cleaved in two, the two-bladed katana was swift enough, and possibly just as dangerous. He jumped backwards from one of the Sith Lord's assaults, landing without fault a good distance away. Rufus Shinra was still calmly staring at the scenery, even as Bahamut Sin ravaged the city. Apparently the duel was not as important to him.

"How could you," spat Kadaj, his words full of contempt for Vader. "How could you kill Sister!? Do you realize what you have done?"

Darth Vader seemed unconcerned. "Do not act as if you are actually disturbed by the notion of young Avonej's death. You fear Sephiroth being chosen over you as the favorite sibling. You hope that by the Reunion of Jenova and her host, Jenova will not have a reason to use you to host Sephiroth. How…foolish. You are nothing more than the invidious child."

"Shut up!" Kadaj shouted. Sephiroth's clone charged at Vader, his speeds capable of evading each swing of Vader's lightsaber. Kadaj leaped over him more than once, and while neither blade touched, it was a duel that was meant to determine who was faster, and who would land the first blow. Kadaj relied on his speed, Vader saw instantly. He was not sure if Kadaj realized it, but the clone's Force-sensitivity allowed him to reach speeds that were only usually taught to apprentices of Force users such as Jedi and Sith.

They moved back and forth throughout the unfinished thirteenth floor of the building. Darth Vader's mechanical body was not nearly as fast as Kadaj, but the mere threat that his lightsaber posed was enough to sustain him in the duel. Vader's form also allowed him almost impenetrable defense, and all Kadaj could do without being cleaved in two was to constantly keep moving.

An explosion shook the ground beneath their feet. Bahamut Sin had destroyed the monument, and the screams of the Imperials below made Vader lose his patience. He stopped, but while Kadaj continued to move towards him, Darth Vader extended one mechanical arm and clenched his fingers around thin air. Kadaj stumbled and grasped his throat as Vader used the Force to levitate Kadaj into the air while the teenage clone of Sephiroth struggled to breathe for his life.

"Call off the creature," Darth Vader commanded in a harsh, icy tone that made even Kadaj's eyes widen with fear.

But that fear had easily evolved into anger. "_H-human…_" he choked, "_…you…d-disgusting…HUMAN!_"

Vader almost hadn't seen the strands of lightning hurled at him. He dove out of the way, landing into a roll, but not without his lightsaber arm being singed by the materia attack. The current of the electricity traveled up his and down his arm in an agonizing pathway before traveling through the rest of his body, forcing him to collapse to the floor. His breathing became sickening and ragged within his mask. Kadaj fell, no longer in Vader's clutches. He charged at Vader's prone body with Souba raised, intended for the killing blow. His jade eyes were alight with hatred, the feline-like pupils thin and hungry for their prey. Then Kadaj fell back, screaming in anguish as Vader's lightsaber cut across his torso.

Darth Vader's vision blurred, and his lungs were aching from working too hard to sustain him. He could barely make out Kadaj's outline as the remnant of Sephiroth pressed his gloved hand to the deep cut across his stomach. The blood seeping from it was barely perceptible against the black leather he wore. Vader's only regret was that his lightsaber hadn't cut deep enough to slice Kadaj in half.

* * *

_Where am I?_

Denzel opened his eyes and met a world of pandemonium, and even though that was not usually a rare sight for him in his nine years of age, Denzel could not help the fear he felt. Monument Circle was completely doused in blue flames. Dead bodies lay everywhere, not to mention that the last thing he could remember was standing in the middle of the lake at the Forgotten Capital with the other children.

From the ground he glanced towards the sky momentarily as a giant silver airship blasted it's way through a swarm of approaching TIE fighters. He looked towards the gaping hole that was once the Meteor Monument and gasped as he laid eyes on Bahamut Sin for the first time. Then he finally noticed the arm wrapped protectively around him, and his blue eyes welled up with tears as his adopted mother lay unmoving next to him.

Denzel turned his gaze back to Bahamut Sin, his tears replaced with anger. Standing up he shouted, "You son of a bitch!" and ran without hesitation towards the monster. Bahamut Sin bent down towards the boy and opened its jaws to strike…

Denzel was just feet away from it, but was pulled back by a towering figure that opened fire upon the creature instead. Bahamut Sin reared back to avoid the bullets that bombarded it's face, and the figure turned in Denzel's direction, the gun he was shooting with transforming into a metal arm.

"You look after your mother!" he commanded. Denzel stared at Marlene's father with relief flooding his features.

"Barret!" exclaimed a surprised voice. Denzel turned and embraced the now conscious Tifa, and sobbed into the folds of her vest.

"It's alright," she soothed him as she caressed his hair.

"Marlene better be safe!" Barret Wallace warned, not waiting for a reply as he ran off to face Kadaj's summoning. He joined the stormtroopers that had opened fire on it, and they did not seem to pay him much attention, even as the fugitive aided them. Bahamut Sin swiped its massive arm back and threw the offending Imperials aside as it turned with every intention to destroy Barret. Gritting his teeth, Barret fiddled with his gun arm, but it only emitted small green sparks, rather than the energy beam he was hoping for. He cringed as the summoning neared him, but was caught in surprise as Bahamut Sin suddenly shrieked in pain. A giant, spinning shuriken had sliced it across the face and returned to the person who threw it; a young girl who dropped down from the sky in front of Tifa with a white parachute trailing behind her.

"Yuffie," gasped Tifa with a relieved grin. Yuffie Kisaragi threw the parachute off of her and returned the grin with a slightly greenish face. Covering her mouth with one hand she gagged from the airsickness of parachuting from the airship above. The eighteen-year-old Wutaian princess wore knee-high boots, shorts that were the exact opposite of conservative, a small vest, and a bandanna that tied around her short cropped black hair.

"Alright," Yuffie demanded angrily after getting over her airsickness, "who's been messin' with my materia?" She looked less than pleased about the news of Kadaj stealing AVALANCHE's materia and using it against them, as well as the new Imperial decree outlawing the Lifestream gems.

"The bad guys," replied Tifa with a non-committal shrug. "Naturally."

Yuffie groaned and ran off towards the monster, her large shuriken in hand. "Oh, damn them!"

"Who was that?" Denzel asked. Nanaki had also appeared with Cait Sith on his back and managed to leap on Bahamut Sin's back as it began to take flight. The fire-furred creature took bites and scratches at it but was thrown off just as quickly. A garnet haired woman who Tifa did not recognize shot down a shadowcreeper as it attempted to ambush Nanaki from behind.

"Thank you, Resia," said Nanaki and she smiled.

"No problem." As Bahamut Sin began to fly upwards again, Resia concentrated on one of her own personal materia, an uncommon gem known as Gravity. A dark translucent sphere appeared above Bahamut Sin and flattened, forcing the monster to plummet back down towards the square.

"Nice touch," Tifa complimented. Resia smiled back at the brunette but then pointed her gun back at Bahamut Sin and began firing as it straightened itself mid-way between its fall and flew upwards again.

"I suppose it likes to defy the laws of physics," Resia shrugged as she ran off to join the others in the fight.

Denzel stared at the scene in confusion. It was odd to see the Imperials fighting alongside their enemies, but he supposed at the moment they all shared a common one. Suddenly he felt Tifa's arms around him again and yelled in fright as four shadowcreepers unexpectedly appeared to pounce on them.

"Hah!"

Tifa looked up in astonishment once she realized that she hadn't felt their claws in her backside. Instead, Cid Highwind stood in front of them, expertly swinging his spear in numerous arcs that knocked each shadowcreeper back. Once he was finished with his work, he wiped the side of his nose with his thumb and pointed to the sky with satisfaction. Tifa noticed for the first time the giant airship that hung high in the air.

"The _Shera_," he explained proudly. "My latest model." Tifa smiled. It was obvious he had named the new airship after his wife. While it resembled the old airship that had been destroyed, the _Highwind_, this new contraption was larger and sleeker than the last. She was sure he had installed a tremendous number of upgrades that would make the _Shera _formidable even against the Empire.

_All it needs is the ability to go into space,_ she thought. _Then Cid would have lived his dream and we could actually do something about the Empire._

"I'll give you the grand tour afterward!" he called behind him with a wave as he clumsily attempted to catch up with the others.

"Where can I buy a phone?" a sinister voice suddenly asked.

Tifa turned with a startled gasp, but was relieved at the sight of Vincent Valentine approaching her from behind. Denzel watched him in astonishment as the red clad man walked calmly towards the battle, his crimson cape billowing behind him like waves of blood. The ripped edges of the fabric fluttered and appeared to Denzel like droplets of blood falling from the cape itself.

"Who's he?" Denzel whispered, as if afraid he would catch the mysterious man's attention.

"They're our friends," she calmly assured him. Denzel could not understand why she was smiling, but he did notice a fond nostalgic look in her chocolate brown eyes.

Then Tifa suddenly turned at the sound of a motorcycle's engine. It was Cloud, approaching on _Fenrir_. When he stopped, he said to her, "Marlene is safe. I checked up on her earlier."

Tifa nodded in response. Cloud's motorcycle opened up to reveal the six swords he carried and began to remove them, connecting one to the other to make a larger sword. They each fit in a simple pattern that made it appear as if it had been one sword all along. The last two that he did not connect to the compilation he sheathed behind him in a special multi-sword sheath.

"I feel lighter," he said quietly. Tifa gave him a puzzled look. "Maybe I lost weight," he suggested, "from all that drifting around that I did."

His words struck something inside of her. There was something different. Tifa gazed at him in admiration, absolutely sure that Cloud Strife had found himself again. She could not think on it for long, for Denzel pulled on her vest to get her attention.

"I'm going to go back home," he announced, "to take care of Marlene." Tifa nodded and Denzel dashed off towards one of the alleys, away from most of the disruption. At the alley's threshold, he turned back and asked, "You'll be coming back, won't you, Cloud?"

Cloud gave him a slow nod in return, and Denzel left Monument Circle with a genuine smile on his face, a smile Tifa had never seen before from the boy who lost his parents to Meteor, and attracted Geostigma.

* * *

Cid Highwind knew all hell was going to break loose when the men with the rocket launchers came. They looked similar to the common Imperial stormtroopers, with only minor differences in armor and apparel. The eight that were sent in to Monument Circle confirmed Cid's own worry for his new airship, his secret weapon that was strong enough to protect them from the Imperial fighters that had attempted to impede them on their journey from Rocket Town to Midgar. Yet, as strong as the _Shera_ was, he knew that it was mostly his determination that had seen them through to Midgar, and that the Empire had more than enough power to destroy his airship when given the right motivation.

The Rocket Town pilot stood precariously on a metal beam that was a part of the construction of the many new buildings that were planned to take up space in Monument Circle. Less than a minute earlier, he had not worried when he vaulted into thin air and stabbed Bahamut Sin in the back, only to ride the creature as it flew across the city in crazed fits to shake the pilot off of it's back. Nanaki had rescued him from almost certain death, yet Cid did not regret his action. However, the worry was in his very bones for his airship and it's current pilot.

"Shera," he spoke through a radio, an older Portable Handheld System, or PHS, "get the ship away from the plaza!"

"_Everything all right down there?_" she responded.

"Dandy," he replied sarcastically. "The plastic bastards are bringing in rocket launchers now. I don't think they're plannin' on hittin' your end, but if they miss Bahamut, they just might."

"_I understand_," she replied. "_Give me a call when you need to be picked up._"

Cid's frown creased worry lines into his face as he watched the airship move away from the vicinity. "Don't do anything stupid!" he harshly reminded her, and although he received no response, he doubted that his wife felt any bitter feelings towards his scolding.

Shoving the PHS back into the pocket of the jacket tied around his waist, Cid turned his attention back to the scene. Some rooftops away Yuffie had performed an impressive back flip in the air while throwing her shuriken at Bahamut Sin, then landing on another ledge flawlessly while catching it. It was a skill taught only to the warriors of Wutai, but Cid always had an underlying feeling that there had to be a reason why Yuffie Kisaragi was always faster and far more agile than the rest of her people. She seemed to always have an affinity for jumping incredible distances, and while not impossible, it was still extraordinarily impressive at her young age. Even her talent with materia was not something to be trifled with.

_Yeah,_ he thought with a snort, _but that doesn't excuse her for being a pain in the ass_.

Yuffie was not the only member of their group that had extraordinary, if not bizarre talents. Cid watched as Vincent also leapt the gaps in between the buildings, distances that not even Yuffie could perform.

_But we know why he can do that_, Cid reminded himself ruefully. Vincent Valentine considered the gifts forced onto him by the Shin-Ra Science Department a curse, and with good reason. Still, his prowess was the reason why he had miraculously survived an encounter with one bounty hunter the previous night.

Cid never believed that the members of AVALANCHE met each other upon coincidence. While he was a man that relied on fact, science, and technology, there was a small part of him that came to accept karma in some way, especially after the death of Aerith Gainsborough and the defeat of Sephiroth by their hands. They had crossed paths for a special reason, and even though he did not know what that reason was for, the simple fact that they continued to reunite time after time was proof that fate was working in some way. After Meteorfall, he always considered a possibility of important significance when he crossed paths with whatever new person he encountered, even the pilot Resia Tomebar, who also had an important connection to AVALANCHE's history as the pilot of the _Gelinka_ and it's sole survivor. There was a reason why they all maintained extraordinary abilities and the power to overcome even the most powerful of all warriors, Sephiroth, Cid was sure of it.

_The hell you thinkin' about this for anyway?_ he asked himself, turning his attention back down to the plaza. _Your friends need your help and here you are dozing off and ponderin' about stupid shit like fate._ Cid shook his head and narrowed his eyes towards the line of Shock Troopers that had finished forming in the square. In front of them stood a lone individual, a woman not clad in Imperial uniform, giving them directions.

"What the hell?" he muttered. The woman paced back and forth through the line, adjusting their aim where she thought was appropriate and giving them strict instructions. "She's…part o' Shin-Ra!"

"Damn these fuckin' rats!"

Cid turned swiftly in the direction of Barret's line of cursing, and found the taller dark skinned man on a beam below trying to fight off a horde of shadowcreepers that had pursued him. Cid gripped his spear with both hands and bent his knees in preparation for a jump to aid Barret, but then a blur of black suddenly leapt out of nowhere towards Barret. Barret landed with a thud on his stomach on a nearby platform and Cid smirked as Cloud Strife landed on a separate beam below them.

"Where the hell you've been!?" demanded Barret, shaking his fist.

"Yeah, Head-in-the-Clouds!" Cid shouted callously. "Yer always late, and we end up doin' all the hard work! I bet you came here just to make the killing blow and take all the credit for yourself, as always, huh?"

Barret laughed and Cid grinned at Cloud's irritated glare. They all knew the teasing was in good fun, and it was a tradition amongst them since the earliest days of AVALANCHE. Moments later, Yuffie, Nanaki with Cait Sith on his back, Vincent, Resia, and then finally Tifa joined them on the beams of the building's steel frame, each on separate levels above Cid. Resia was the exception, finding herself to be more comfortable on the same sturdy platform that Barret was standing on.

"Who's that down there?" Yuffie inquired.

"I think I remember her," Cloud announced loudly so that they could all hear. "She was part of SOLDIER, I think, but not really high-ranking in First Class before Nibelheim. I think she's the one who ended up replacing Sephiroth as General."

"Feel sorry for her," Barret muttered.

"Bahamut's on the move again," Tifa pointed out, and they all followed her line of sight as the monster ascended the skies again.

"It's going to attack," Vincent predicted, and was proved to be correct as Naomi shouted 'FIRE!' The Shock Troopers fired the rocket launchers, and while some of them did hit their mark, it only seemed to provoke Kadaj's summoning as the explosions tore right through its body. Bahamut Sin continued to fly upwards, higher than any of the city's skyscrapers or buildings and beyond the reach of the Shock Trooper's range.

"Shit!" Barret shouted, and the members of AVALANCHE shared his sentiment as Bahamut Sin launched another flare of blue flame, this one much larger than it's last attack. Suddenly Cloud jumped upwards with his sword in hand, and the others were only able to gape in shock for a moment, as it was clear that he intended to reach Bahamut Sin with his leap.

_Which is of course impossible_, thought Barret as he caught Cloud's gloved hand. _Without leverage that is._ "Go, fool!" he hollered as he pushed Cloud upward with all of his might.

Cloud rose upwards to where Cid stood. Through the corner of his eye Cloud caught Resia concentrating on a materia, and as Cid pushed him upwards the same way Barret had, Cloud felt reinforced physically, and could even see the sliver of pale blue light that surrounded him in the shape of a sphere. He had a feeling he would be grateful for the shield that Resia cast upon him.

Cloud's azure gaze was focused on the giant ball of blue flame that was hurtling towards them. Yuffie leapt from her position on the steel frame and while catching a hold of Cloud's legs, she propelled him upwards with a hurl of her own. Cloud's speed increased. Next he felt Nanaki's teeth clamp onto the back of his shirt as the quadruped also threw him upwards. Now he was almost near the summit of the metal frame. Vincent jumped towards him.

"Fly," Vincent suggested as he caught Cloud's hand and performed the same action. As Vincent fell back downwards, Cloud clenched his teeth as the wind pressing against his face alone attempted to slow him down. Finally, at the top, Tifa jumped towards him and took his hand.

"Don't you give up now!" she counseled him, and as she pitched in with the very same action, Cloud did as he was told. He _flew_, and he had no intentions of giving up. Something inside of him awakened, and he had a certainty that there was an invisible power giving him strength and he was calling upon it. He was _one_ with it, and it felt right, whatever it was.

Cloud was inches away from Bahamut Sin's flare. He glared at it, and as his body pierced through the sphere of blue flame, he winced, feeling some of its heat suffocate him. Resia's shield held against the raging flares, but he knew that it would not last long the longer he flew through it.

_Whatever you are,_ he pleaded to the power he discovered, _I'm trusting you. Don't let me down now._ Cloud felt the connection in his mind and body strengthen, and then he could no longer feel the suffocation of the flares. When he finally reached the end of the flare, instead of seeing Bahamut he saw a light, and Cloud's eyes stared fixatedly at it. It was as if he had reached the center of _everything_. It was a feeling he hadn't experienced since his last visit to the Lifestream.

Then he saw her. Appearing the very same way he had last known her, Aerith descended towards him, her hand outstretched to aid him. He felt his eyes burn with tears that the Mako in them would never let him shed. He had seen her guiding hand just after he killed Sephiroth, but this time he was able _grasp_ it in this center of everything. She smiled at him.

_**Ready?**_

The power surged through him, and when it did, Cloud returned to the present, with Bahamut Sin in front of him. The four swords he had combined into one tore through the monster's back and as Cloud began to run across Bahamut Sin's spine, the giant blade cut through it's body almost as easily as Darth Vader's lightsaber would have, leaving a trail of the blue flames the summoning was composed of in it's wake. With a shout Cloud tore the sword out of it's back, jumped off of Bahamut Sin, and let himself fall freely back down to the city.

Bahamut Sin crashed to the depths of civilization below. It's most recent attack leveled two skyscrapers, and the summoning alone decimated more than half of Monument Circle. Kadaj's creation did not recover again, and its corpse quickly became ashes, cremated by the very fires it had caused. Cloud landed on the nearest roof, and then fell to his knees with a pained cry. Cloud clutched at his left arm as his entire body began to tremble from the after effect of the power he had just used. Geostigma was rearing its ugly head again.

* * *

Kadaj slowly came to his feet after several long moments of unconsciousness. He took tentative steps towards Vader, who was still vulnerable on the floor, with that hideous rasping penetrating Kadaj's ears. Kadaj straightened, certain that his mother's cells would eventually close the wound Vader had inflicted. He had always considered his regenerative capability a gift, and he could not wait to meet his mother so that he could thank her for everything. But first he had to get rid of the human traitors.

"So," he said to Vader as he sneered down at the Sith Lord's form. "Any ideas for the next act?"

"Actually," Rufus Shinra suddenly announced. "Yes."

Kadaj spun around and was rendered speechless as Rufus effortlessly stood from his wheelchair without assistance. The white cloak the president wore was suddenly thrown off and a handsome, unblemished face stared back at Kadaj with an arrogant, satisfied smirk. The only bandages on him that gave proof of his Geostigma was a thin one wrapped around his neck and another that concealed only his forehead and his left eye. His suit was a clean, pristine white to match his cloak, but what disturbed Kadaj was the object in Rufus' hand: a black metal box, inscribed with 'Jenova.'

"What?" Kadaj exclaimed. "Mother!" _He had her all along!_

Rufus tossed a piece of his silky blond hair out of his eyes. "A good son would have known," he ridiculed. Then he carelessly tossed the box over the open edge.

Kadaj scowled, and with an enraged cry he launched an attack from his lightning materia at Rufus. Rufus dodged out of its way, and as the lightning struck the far wall he fell over the open edge of the thirteenth floor with the head of Jenova he had just disposed of. Falling, he revealed a shotgun from under his white coat and fired several shots at Kadaj. Something exploded where the lightning struck, and Kadaj desperately dove after Rufus and the box.

The thirteen stories that they fell seemed to go on forever. Rufus kept firing shots at Kadaj, seemingly unworried about his own safety for the very near future. Kadaj fell past him, and Rufus redirected his aim below him. Gritting his teeth he fired one final shot and felt the satisfaction of hearing the bullet strike the metal box before he landed quite comfortably in a net that had appeared out of nowhere, shot by Elena and Tseng who were waiting nearby. Rufus sincerely hoped he had permanently damaged Jenova's head.

Directly below on the cement ground, a dark robed and hooded figure simply caught the box in one hand. The figure was surrounded by a great number of stormtroopers, and to Kadaj's despair he found Yazoo and Loz lying nearby and unconscious with their hands bound in tight metal shackles. Kadaj willed his body to fall faster.

Then the figure unleashed a torrent of lightning from his hands, far more powerful than any of Kadaj's previous materia-based lightning attacks. The lightning found him, and Kadaj screamed as his body was forced roughly into the building before falling hard on the ground before the robed figure's feet.

Emperor Palpatine gently prodded Kadaj's body with his foot. Tendrils of smoke came off of the burnt leather Kadaj wore, and his silver hair was marred with black soot and some blood. "General Veers," Palpatine addressed. The Imperial in question immediately appeared at the Emperor's side. "Take him to my shuttle, and see to it that Lord Vader is given assistance immediately."

"Yes, your excellency," Veers replied, and soon enough the stormtroopers moved to bind Kadaj's wrists together. All three unconscious clones were then dragged away.

Emperor Palpatine stood by and waited patiently as Rufus Shinra was carefully brought down by the net he was caught in. Reno and Rude rushed over to him immediately. The Emperor made a single gesture, and the Turk pair were shoved away from the president.

"Hey, what the hell!" Reno retorted. Elena and Tseng moved forward to aid them, and they too were pushed away from the scene. A pair of stormtroopers then approached Rufus and placed shackles on him as well.

Emperor Palpatine took the box he caught in both of his hands and turned it over on one side, where a dark green liquid was starting to leak from the place where Rufus had shot it. As Rufus Shinra was lead away from the others, he met Palpatine's glare with a calm, cool, smirk.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Emperor Palpatine," he said briefly to him, and Palpatine said nothing in return.


	19. No Where to Run, No Where to Hide

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. The only characters that I can claim are General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and any other original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury **

**Chapter Eighteen: No Where to Run, No Where to Hide**

There was an expression of hard determination on Cloud's face as he gunned the motorcycle down the street, civilians and others blurring past him unnoticed. There was an Imperial shuttle sitting at the end of the street, where Cloud was sure Kadaj was with Rufus. He could also see three motorbikes waiting nearby for their platinum haired owners, and it was only a matter of time before Cloud would have to give chase after them.

But the Imperial shuttle took off before Cloud could reach it, leaving only a horde of stormtroopers rather than Kadaj. He leaned sharply on his bike as a barrage of blaster fire came his way, just barely able to turn back the way he came before it was too late. Cloud raced _Fenrir_ as fast as he could back towards Monument Circle, swerving the motorbike every which way to avoid the blaster fire.

He sighed with relief once he was out of firing range of the stormtroopers, but it did not last long. All of the entrances into Monument Square had been barricaded with clear blue electric shields of some kind, and all of the commotion that he could hear from inside the plaza did not put him at ease. A shiver ran down his spine, and as Cloud closed his eyes from the familiar intuition that he had met when fighting Bahamut Sin, he had a fleeting, yet vivid image of the airship _Shera_ exploding into a vicious ball of flame and crashing to the ground as it tried to make it's escape out of Midgar.

He opened his eyes, crying out desperately. It had been so vivid he could even feel the pain and death that Tifa and the others felt from the explosion, but as he looked to the gray skies he found the _Shera_ flying in the distance, completely intact and heading towards the ruins of Midgar. Cloud followed it, determined to prevent the horrific scene from becoming reality.

The only way out of the Edge sector and into the ruined part of Midgar was through the old highways. Cloud was used to traveling through some of them, but the stormtroopers were in the way of the ones that he knew. So it was with some apprehension that he ran through a gate set up by the W.R.O and onto an unfamiliar highway that hadn't been used by anyone since Meteorfall. 'Restricted Area – DANGER – Do Not Use,' read the sign at the gate.

There were sections on the highway covered with debris, but with careful maneuvering, Cloud was able to move past them. However, things became increasingly more complicated as a high-pitched whirring noise that sounded like a motorcycle engine crossed with a fighter jet started approaching from behind. Cloud was just barely able to swerve out of the way before the torrent of blaster fire hit.

It wasn't ordinary blaster fire. It was much more powerful and it made the ground shake when it hit, leaving a nauseating remain of ozone in the air. Cloud pulled out the completed sword out of his bike, swinging it backwards to shield himself from the blasts. It was a difficult task, as each hit threatened to throw him off of the motorcycle. Before he could blink, it was next to him.

It was a small, wheel less vehicle, about the size of his motorbike, and it hovered in the air while being propelled forward with a stormtrooper seated on it, hunched forward. Cloud swung his sword at him, but the stormtrooper thrust the vehicle – a speeder bike – forward, out of Cloud's reach. Cloud chased it, but the speeder bike was already much further ahead, proving the speed it was capable of.

_But why isn't it coming back after me?_ Cloud wondered. _Unless…_ With an uneasy feeling in his gut, Cloud accelerated, remembering the possible fate that could await the _Shera_. He hoped that the airship wasn't the reason why the stormtrooper on the speeder bike was headed to the ruins.

The towering, damaged skyscraper that was once the headquarters for Shin-Ra loomed ever more so as it became closer, casting a long shadow over a portion of the highway. Cloud had to jump several gaps, anxious that the obstacles might slow him down. He was sure that it didn't impede the wheel less speeder bike in the slightest.

Then there were two more, coming from out of nowhere it seemed, already on top of him. A gap was approaching, and Cloud drove up a long slab of fallen concrete, guiding _Fenrir_ through the air. A sensation of weightlessness. The stormtrooper-speeder bike pair were just beside him, and Cloud arced the sword, piercing through the very middle of one of the machines and cutting through it like butter. The wheels of the motorcycle slammed hard on the pavement as he landed across the gap, the flames from the deafening explosion behind him barely licking the back of his neck. Debris and shrapnel flew everywhere, missing Cloud by mere centimeters. Looking behind him for a brief moment, he found that there were no more Imperials in his pursuit for the time being.

Cloud accelerated, taking a left turn off of the highway and into what seemed to be the heart of Midgar. Overhead, the _Shera_ disappeared behind a collection of dilapidated buildings, but Cloud continued onward, following the faint sound of the Imperial speeder bike's whirring, high-pitched engine. He found the stormtrooper at a dead end, a sort of cul d'sac of ruined buildings, but the Imperial paid no attention to Cloud's approaching vehicle.

The Imperial's attention was on Tifa, who stood at the very end of the way, staring down at the stormtrooper determinedly. Cloud started forward, the panic already forming in his mind. All the stormtrooper needed to do was fire off one shot and blast Tifa into oblivion.

But Tifa was already charging towards the speeder bike as the stormtrooper fired shots in her direction. Cloud felt his heart jump into his throat. Yet, the only sound he heard from Tifa was a fierce battle cry rather than a pained one. There she was, in the air and landing a hard kick into the helmeted man's face, knocking him off of the vehicle. The speeder bike unattended, it moved forward suddenly and crashed with a small explosion into a building, brining it down completely.

Cloud dismounted his bike and ran over to Tifa, who stood with one of her steel-toed boots placed harshly into the stormtrooper's neck. The stormtrooper struggled, and as soon as he pulled out a hidden blaster pistol from out of his armor, Tifa placed her feet on both sides of his head and swiftly twisted them, creating a sickening, yet oddly satisfying crunching sound that left the Imperial dead and unmoving.

Cloud bent down and retrieved the blaster pistol from the dead man's fingers and examined it briefly before handing it to Tifa. "You think Vincent might like it?"

Tifa shrugged, smiling. "Maybe. Isn't his birthday coming up soon anyway?"

He gave her a bewildered expression. "You know when his birthday is?"

"The thirteenth," she answered him, leading Cloud back to the motorcycle.

Cloud mounted first and then let Tifa mount behind him, waiting for her arms to wrap around his waist before starting the engine. "How'd you find this out?" he asked her.

"Yuffie annoyed it out of him and she told me," Tifa replied. They were already moving out of the destroyed cul d'sac and deeper into Midgar. Shadows passed over them as they traveled, the remaining parts of the giant metal plate that had once covered the entirety of the slums hanging and looming over the deathly silent ruins.

_Maybe not so silent_, Tifa thought to herself. While Cloud's _Fenrir_ made a loud rumbling that filled Tifa's ears, the dead of Midgar never really stopped echoing in her mind. Being in the ruins brought about a sensation of creepiness, sadness, and nostalgia all at once.

"Cid parked in Sector 5," Tifa informed him after some moments of silence between them.

"Okay," he acknowledged her. His tone was solemn, and while he had only uttered one word, Tifa did not sense the heavy weight that usually accompanied them.

"How are you feeling?" she asked him. Cloud was silent, but she really hadn't expected answer from him anyhow. It didn't take long for them to reach the church, where they had been both lying unconscious just a day before. The _Shera_ was landed in the clearing in front of it, and upon seeing it, Tifa had to admire Cid's piloting skills for having been able to maneuver it into the clearing without colliding into the jagged edges of the plate's many gaps.

Nanaki was sitting at the church's entrance, pointedly waiting for them. "I trust you were able to rid us of our Imperial stalker, Tifa?"

"It was no problem," Tifa assured him. "I don't know if they're sending anymore though. We should hurry."

"There were two more," Cloud informed them, "but they're nothing to worry about now."

Nanaki nodded. "Everyone is waiting inside."

Tifa opened the door and the four legged created trotted inside before them. Cloud felt cool waves of relief upon his left arm, and silently thanked the girl who used to pick flowers there for momentarily aiding him. It made him feel less guilty to know that she was still trying to help him, even after Meteorfall. Perhaps there would be no shame in trying to forgive himself after all…

They were all waiting as Nanaki had said. Barret Wallace was pacing back and forth, looking impatient. Yuffie Kisaragi was sprawled out in the flowerbed and staring up at the sky, through the hole in the ceiling that allowed sunlight to shine into the church. Cid Highwind was yelling at Cait Sith about something, while the garnet-haired woman that cast a Shield spell to aid Cloud against Bahamut Sin sat nearby, laughing quietly at the scene, but with a sad, morose expression on her face. Vincent stood in the shadowy corner with his arms crossed, silent and foreboding as usual.

Barret stopped pacing. "There ya' are, spike-head! Late again!"

Cloud smirked, wondering if his vision had just been paranoia getting to him. "Not really," he answered. If the _Shera_ was intact, then Cloud was early by his own standards.

Barret scoffed. "Well, did ya at least beat that wannabe Sephiroth's ass?"

Cloud sighed and shook his head. "The Empire got to Kadaj first."

There were some outbursts. Yuffie sat up in the flowerbed, waving her arms frantically over her head. Cait Sith jumped on top of Nanaki's head, causing the quadruped to snarl viciously and snap his jaws at the robot cat, but Vincent's deep voice suddenly turned everyone quiet as he spoke.

"This means that Darth Vader has Jenova's head as well," said Vincent. "It will not be long before they use it to bring back Sephiroth."

"And just how is that crazy bitch's head supposed to do that?" Barret exclaimed.

"Reunion," Cloud answered. "All Sephiroth needs is one of his clones and Jenova's cells to recreate himself."

"Think of Kadaj as a larva form of Sephiroth," Vincent suggested.

Yuffie stood up, her face turning green. "Larva!? You…you mean, he's an insect?!" The Wutaian wailed, screaming, "GROSS!!!"

"Keep your big mouth shut for once, won't ya?" Cait Sith shouted at her.

"No, you shut up!" Yuffie retorted before turning towards Vincent again. "I don't get it, though."

"This is man's talk," Cid answered.

"Sexist!" she screamed. "SEXIST!!" Cid rolled his eyes.

"Oh, just shut your trap already, Little Princess!" Cait Sith shouted again.

"_Little_?!"

"Us men don't get it either," Barret interrupted. "Is this asshole supposed to sprout pretty butterfly wings and fly or somethin'?"

"Kadaj is a host for Sephiroth," Cloud replied. "If he combines himself with Jenova's head-,"

"Then we'll all be in some pretty deep shit," Cid finished for him.

"So what are we going to do now?" inquired a worried Tifa. "We can't exactly stay here until Sephiroth returns."

"Not with the Empire's bounty hunters in our pursuit," Vincent added.

"Oh yeah…" Yuffie murmured.

"They're extremely efficient," Vincent continued, his crimson eyes narrowing.

"You encountered one?" asked Cloud.

Vincent nodded but said nothing else. A shadow seemed to pass over the man's face, implying that he did not particularly enjoy his encounter with the bounty hunter.

Tifa blinked, coming out of a small reverie and stepped forward. "Oh, here Vincent. We found this back there and thought that you might have some use for it." She handed the red-caped man the blaster pistol and he took it with his one normal hand. Vincent examined it for a moment and nodded to Tifa without any other words for response, but Tifa smiled anyway, knowing that it was Vincent's little way of thanking people.

From her spot, Resia cleared her throat and spoke in a hallowed voice, "Maybe we _should_ see about getting some more weapons. You know, even the odds a bit."

"Well sure!" Yuffie exclaimed enthusiastically, "but… are you okay? You don't sound too good."

"And you're a little pale," Tifa pointed out. "You're not injured are you?"

The pilot smiled weakly and waved them off before wrapping her arms around her stomach. "I'll be okay. I just… there's something about this church, like someone's watching us or something."

Resia was a little surprised by their reactions, or rather, lack of thereof, as if they were comfortable with the notion that someone might have followed them and was watching them at that very moment.

There was confusion in Resia's different colored eyes. "You're okay with Imperials spying on us?"

Cloud shook his head, answering with certainty, "There's no stormtroopers here. It's just the nature of this church."

The others nodded, but that didn't put her at ease. Resia wasn't sure that's she was very comfortable with the fact that they knew something that she didn't about the church, whether the knowledge was dangerous or not. She just couldn't shake off the feeling that made the hairs rise on the back of her neck, that familiar sensation that usually served her well in the middle of an aerial battle. Sometimes her reflexes enabled her to correctly guess what her opponent's next move would be before they even performed it.

But this time the feeling wasn't telling her that something was going to happen so much that it had actually happened. There was something so familiar about it all that it had been nagging at Resia's brain ever since they had arrived. She guessed that it was this that was causing her discomfort.

"Hey," Barret interjected. "I think I can see where she's getting at. If we're gonna leave, we better leave now. Since we're used to this place, it's only creatin' a false sense of security. We're used to feelin' like we're being looked out after here, so if one of those scumbags really was spying on us, we wouldn't even know it."

"Yeah," Cid agreed, standing up. "Let's get the hell out of here."

The nine of them carefully filed out of the church and boarded the _Shera_. Once inside, Shera immediately gave up the controls to her husband, who happily lit a cigarette with a grin before starting the airship.

The _Shera_'s bridge was a wide, clean and open area to the front of the airship with thick glass encompassing the entire area, giving the pilot on the bridge's elevated platform an ultimate view of the ship's surroundings. Cid Highwind maneuvered the ship carefully, his hands on a large wheel resembling the ones used to steer sailboats. He guided the _Shera_ out of Sector 5's ruins without colliding into the plate above the old city.

Cloud placed his hands on the railing in front of the glass. "Now let's just hope those other ships don't shoot us out of the sky."

"You're just too damn pessimistic!" Cid shouted at him. "Did you forget who I am?!"

"They can target us from the planet's orbit!" Cloud objected.

"Yeah," Cait Sith agreed. "Those Star Destroyers are pretty scary. Reeve had to attend a meeting on one last night."

"And they're all over the place!" Yuffie added. "Which one was he on?"

"Darth Vader's flagship," Cait Sith explained. "The _Devastator._"

"Suits him," Cloud muttered shrewdly. "How's Reeve doing anyway?"

"He's alive," the robot cat replied, "fortunately."

Cid started shouting again, cursing as a loud alarm began to blast noisily throughout the ship, flashing a red-hued light on and off. Resia stood up and ran to the window.

"TIE fighters, Captain!" she shouted over the alarm.

"Shit," Cid muttered as he glanced momentarily at the radar next to him. "All of you! Sit down or hold onto somethin'! We're gonna haul ass!"

As they all ran about in a frenzy, the ship shook violently, throwing a green-faced Yuffie to the ground. A TIE fighter zoomed by, barely caught in the corner of Cloud's eye. The _Shera_ shook again, something exploded below in the airship, and he felt Tifa fall on him as they both hit the ground.

Resia was at one station while Shera was at another. Cid's vehement curses blended obscenely with Barret's to the point where it was almost impossible to discern exactly what they were cursing, though Cloud was positive that it was pretty obvious as to what they were so upset about.

"Shera, you're at the machine guns right?" Cid shouted across the bridge. When she nodded, he commanded, "So start shootin' woman!"

At another station, Vincent calmly informed, "The starboard emergency engine has been critically damaged."

"Resia!" Cid exclaimed. "You're at the rockets! Blast the shit out of them!"

Resia turned to the controls and some moments later there was a deafening explosion outside. "Heat seekers…" she said. "Nice touch, Captain!"

"Hold on to your britches!" he warned before pulling back a large lever. The _Shera_ was suddenly thrown forward, and as Yuffie was screaming for her life, Cloud could barely register how fast the airship was cutting through the sky.

"Don't ya' even think about throwing up on my ship you brat!" Cid yelled at Yuffie.

"They'll send more after us," Cloud reminded him as he carefully helped Tifa get to her feet while trying to keep themselves steady on the fast-moving airship.

"Yeah," Cait Sith agreed, "and I don't wanna be around when they come in swarms!"

"Damn fleas," Cid muttered through clenched teeth. He gripped the wheel, standing tense and rigid while working hard to keep the airship in control at its top speeds. "So where the hell do ya' expect me to take this thing?!"

"Somewhere isolated," Vincent suggested, "where we can hide and gather our strength before the Reunion."

"Not many places like those," Barret admitted.

"Holzoff's cabin in the Gaea Cliffs," Nanaki suggested, his claws dug deep into the small crevices of the floor as his four-legged body threatened to slide uncontrollably across the bridge. Cait Sith held on painfully to the red fur on his back.

"That's too close to the Northern Crater," Cloud answered. "Reno told me that there was a large Imperial presence there."

"Round Island!" Tifa exclaimed.

"There's no where to land there," Cid reminded her.

"Nibelheim?" Yuffie whimpered as she covered her mouth with one hand to prevent herself from submitting to her motion sickness.

"No, they followed us through there from Cosmo Canyon, remember?" Cid irritably responded.

"Hey, I didn't know!" she complained. "I wasn't there when you picked up Red!"

"We're fuckin' screwed!" Barret cried.

"Lucrecia's waterfall?" asked Tifa, sending Vincent a hesitant glance. He was the only individual board the airship that seemed unbothered by the G-forces of the _Shera._

"…that's not a bad idea," he stoically admitted, but Tifa pretended not to notice the sad look in his crimson eyes.

"No. Where. To. LAND!" Cid repeated with a frustrated scream.

"Cid! Stop screaming at us!" Yuffie ordered.

"How could I not scream? You guys are sprouting stupid suggestions! And we're running out of time!"

"Well I don't see you coming up with anything, smart ass!" she retorted.

"I don't have to come up with shit!" he declared. "I'm flying this boat!"

"Some Captain you are…" the eighteen year old muttered under her breath.

"Hey! I heard that you obnoxious little Wutaian brat!"

"That's _Miss_ Wutaian-_Princess_ brat to you!"

"Shut up!"

"No, you shut up!"

"Chocobos!"

Cid and Yuffie stopped bickering, looking bewildered as they all looked at Tifa, who had suddenly shouted the name of the large domesticated birds of their planet.

"Tifa, sweetheart," Cait Sith started. "I know you're stressed out, but I really doubt that an army of _chocobos_ is going to get rid of the Galactic Empire for us."

"No!" she replied. "I'm talking about the Chocobo Sage!"

"You mean his ranch?" Cloud questioned, "but that's also too close to the Northern Crater."

"Yeah, but it's on the opposite side," Tifa explained. "There's practically no life there, and the Imperials won't think to look. We found it on accident the first time, remember?"

"And the second time too," Cid said.

"_And_ you can land there just fine, Cid," Tifa added.

"That's better than any of the crap we've come up with so far!" Barret admitted. "Let's go!"

"All right," Cid agreed with a sigh, "but it ain't gonna be easy."

At the speed that the _Shera_ was traveling, it did not take more than a couple of hours to reach the Icicle Continent. At the first sighting of the continent's icy cliffs, Cid slowed the airship down considerably, dulling the power of the engines so that only the airship's quietest propellers held the _Shera_ aloft. Dark specs in the distance showed swarms of TIE's in the area near Icicle Village, but Cid guided the _Shera_ directly in the opposite direction around the coast.

Barret stood with his arms crossed, shaking his head. "Those Star Destroyers are probably looking at us right now. They're waiting for us to get there, I know it. Those bastards are probably planning to blow us into smithereens the moment we arrive."

"Not if they're busy with something else," said Cloud. "They have Kadaj and Jenova's head. If Sephiroth is their main priority-,"

"Get real, Cloud," Yuffie scoffed. "It's not like all the entire Empire has directed its undivided attention to Kadaj. He may be cute, but he's not _that _cute."

Her eyes widened as amused glanced suddenly found her. Tifa remarked smartly, "So the enemy is cute, is he?"

Yuffie's face went from the motion sickness green to a bright tomato red. "Shut up," she muttered. The others laughed in response.

"Wait a minute," Cloud interrupted. "How could you possibly know what Kadaj looks like? You've never seen him."

Yuffie was fuming. "Goes to show often you listen to your voice mail! Didn't I tell you that all the kids in Wutai had started disappearing yesterday? I caught glimpses of him while I was fighting those Imperial jerks!"

"I lost my phone, Yuffie," he replied.

"Ooh…the little princess snuck 'glimpses' of her prince charming," Barret teased. Cid sniggered.

"All right!" Yuffie shouted. "Now you're askin' for it!" With a fierce battle cry she pounced on Barret's back and started beating his head senselessly with her small fists.

"Get off of me ya' stupid brat!"

"Yuffie!"

It took Cloud, Tifa, Vincent, _and_ Shera to pull the young and enraged Wutaian warrior off of Barret Wallace, and even then she was still kicking and screaming for his blood. Finally, Tifa had the teenager in a powerful chokehold that gave Yuffie no choice but to surrender. "Think of it this way, Yuffie. No one will bother you after you realize it," Tifa suggested calmly. "Kadaj is Sephiroth's clone, so you're also unconsciously admitting to Sephiroth being attractive."

Yuffie immediately looked repulsed and screamed, "OH GAWD!" Her complexion even took on the green motion sickness hue, and seeing it, Tifa immediately let go of her.

"I find it simply remarkable how even after two years, we all still manage to bicker and waste time during the most crucial of moments," Nanaki remarked.

Tifa laughed. "It's the only reason why we all still have our sanity."

"Yeah," Barret spat, glaring at Yuffie. "_Some_ of us, anyway."

It was difficult for the _Shera_ to fly through the constant blizzard that seemed permanently settled over the heart of the Icicle Continent, but Cid was familiar with the environment that protected the Northern Crater. Because they ignored the Crater completely, they received no trouble form the Imperials that furiously guarded Sephiroth's gravesite. Then, in what seemed to be an obscure part of the land, the blizzards suddenly stopped, revealing a rare portion of green, surrounded by white mountains. As the _Shera_ began to land, its passengers were all anxious to enter the lone cabin that was settled on the green.

"I hope that old fart knows how to cook," Yuffie said as they all filed out of the airship. "I'm starving."

"Who is this Chocobo Sage anyway?" Resia asked. "Can we trust him?"

"He's an old hermit who knows practically everything about chocobos," Cid explained. "We don't have to worry about him though. That guy is so absent minded, that even if the Empire came by to interrogate him they wouldn't get anything out of him. He probably won't even remember that we dropped by."

"I'm freezing!" Yuffie complained, shaking as she pushed against the bitter wind towards the cabin.

"You shouldn't have worn those shorts then," Cid retorted.

Cloud was the first to reach the door and as he knocked, a voice from inside muttered, "Why if all the moogles in the world needed to buy greens from me…"

"Sage!" Cloud shouted.

"…I'm not selling greens today!" answered the Chocobo Sage from the other side of the door.

"It's me, Cloud Strife! You remember me, don't you?"

The cabin door opened, revealing a small, squinty-eyed old man with a long white beard and wearing a tall purple straw hat. "Cloud…Strife?" his voice wheezed. "I don't remember seeing anything in the sky that has ever suffered. It's usually the blokes _under _the sky that suffer, isn't it"?"

Cloud blinked several times, considering the bizarre statement for a moment before responding, "I was here before. Two years ago." He stepped aside to reveal the others behind him, hoping that the Chocobo Sage would recognize them.

"Yes," the old Chocobo Sage murmured, "I remember seeing you all before. Your names were…oh, I forget, but I know who you are."

"We're sorry for bothering you," Tifa apologized to him, "but we need a place to rest and hide for a moment."

"Come in, then. Come in, then," replied the old Sage as he turned away and walked deeper into the cabin. When the ten of them were inside and the door was closed again, an animal made a soft 'wark' noise from the single stable to the left. Inside the stable was a giant bird, a chocobo, with light green feathers.

"It's been a while since we've seen you race one, Cloud," Tifa said as she sat down on the couch in front of the cabin's fireplace. Yuffie was huddling over the flames, rubbing her cold hands together.

"Yes…" the Chocobo Sage murmured again. "I remember you all. The suffering sky, the barricade wall, the deep and impenetrable heart, the last flame, the youthful pride, the clever stray, the tormented lover, and the tall winds."

Cid rolled his eyes. "Well, here we go again, folks."

"I can never understand a damn thing this guy says to us," Barret muttered.

"Well yes," the Chocobo Sage continued, as if he had not heard them, "last time you were on your way to rid the world of that silver poison, that mercury."

"Mercury hasn't been used in thermometers for years," Yuffie offhandedly remarked.

"Indeed," the Chocobo Sage agreed.

"Do you remember Meteorfall?" Cloud asked.

The old man said nothing at first, as if thinking, but then, "No, can't say that I do."

Later, Tifa was sitting outside on the cabin's porch, watching as Shera, Resia and Barret were assisting Cid with repairing the damages done to the _Shera_. She could hear the pilot swearing from inside the ship, cursing the Imperials to every known hell imaginable. She ignored it all by humming a tune to herself that was often used to soothe chocobos. Cloud approached her from inside the cabin.

"I told the Sage all about the Empire," he said.

"Why?" Tifa asked.

Cloud shrugged. "Just incase they came around here. Hopefully he'll prepare himself. He didn't seem all too concerned about it."

"He wasn't concerned about Sephiroth the last time we came here," Tifa reminded him. Cloud nodded. "How are you feeling?" she asked him.

"I'm not sure," Cloud replied. "On one hand, Vader and the Empire has Kadaj and Jenova's head and in the other, I have Geostigma, and I know I can't stop them. But I'm gonna try."

"You have us," Tifa encouraged. "We helped you kill that Bahamut Kadaj summoned."

"Yeah…" Cloud wasn't sure whether to tell her about what he felt up there above Edge with Bahamut Sin; about seeing Aerith and feeling that sensation and that strength that allowed him to accomplish it. He supposed that it wasn't just Tifa and the others that had helped him, but Aerith had as well. Aerith and the planet. Aerith and the Lifestream.

The Lifestream.

What role would it play this time, he wondered. It was the Lifestream itself that had come out of the planet and fought Sephiroth's Meteor. The planet used the Lifestream as a weapon to save itself from Sephiroth. Cloud wondered if it would do the same against the Empire.

_Wishful thinking_, he resumed to himself, but seeing Tifa there next to him reminded him that he should try to be optimistic for a change. She always was and it always worked for her.

"I'm worried about Denzel and Marlene," she admitted.

"I know," Cloud replied, "but they're a lot safer at the Seventh Heaven than they would be if they had come with us."

Tifa shuddered from the cold and from her thoughts. "Everything is changing so fast. If we do stop them from bring Sephiroth back, what do we do afterwards? The Empire will no doubt control the planet. I don't think I could imagine sending Marlene and Denzel to schools where they'll be taught to be evil Imperials."

Cloud stared at the distant, snow-capped mountains, deep in thought. "We can't be the _only_ ones in the galaxy who are against them. There has to be more people out there somewhere who are just like us."

Tifa smiled slightly. "That would be something, wouldn't it? Imagine, we find a whole other planet, or planets, with our same problems. They would have their own AVALANCHE, their own Barret Wallace…their own Cloud Strife."

Cloud looked at her and wanted to smile, but found that he couldn't. Instead, he said, "It wouldn't matter much without their very own Tifa Lockheart."

Tifa turned away and blushed, though Cloud didn't understand why. Suddenly, a dark, intimidating voice said, "We'll soon see, won't we?" Tifa jumped startled, but then sighed with relief when she found Vincent standing at the edge of the porch, his form covered mostly in shadow.

"Oh, Vincent," she said. "It was just you."

"Do we have a plan, Cloud?" Vincent questioned.

Cloud smirked. "Do we ever?"

"Hmm…" Vincent murmured. "Good point."

"When they do bring back Sephiroth," said Tifa, "how will we know?"

"When all hell starts to break loose," Cloud replied with a heavy sigh.

"Well, what I mean is," she continued, "if they bring him back on those ships that are in orbit, then there's nothing we can really do about it, is there? Unless Cid can somehow transform the _Shera_ into a spaceship over night."

"I don't think they would do that," Cloud answered. "They would be putting their ships at risk. I think they'd do it somewhere here on the planet's surface."

"Five Gil on Midgar," Tifa announced, opening the bet.


	20. Element of Surprise

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. The only characters that I can claim are General Naomi Posada, Isis Ultima Avonej, and any other original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Nineteen: Element of Surprise**

_Mother… pain help me. Lightning pain it hurts. Mother where are you they have you Mother the traitors have Mother, Reunion. Reunion. When is Reunion? Failed? Have I failed Mother you will pick him instead won't you the traitors will win the planet will win no I won't I can't let that happen. Reunion._

_**Your mother is here. Come for her.**_

Kadaj's eyes snapped open, round black pupils becoming thin vertical slits. His head was burning with pain, the thoughts in his mind fragmented and disoriented. The light that had entered his eyes upon opening them made it more painful, making Kadaj regret having left the darkness of his subconscious. For a moment his body convulsed as he was overcome by a dark sensation, one that he remembered feeling before. There was another consciousness shifting in the back of his mind, urging him to go forward, to reunite with Jenova, the Calamity. He knew perfectly well whose consciousness it was. The one chosen by Mother long ago, discreetly commanding Kadaj from the Lifestream.

_Go away,_ Kadaj thought with a scowl. The consciousness ebbed, sinking back to an unknown place in the Lifestream to wait once more for Reunion.

"When I find Mother, I'll ask her what is meant to happen. She'll choose, not you," Kadaj said aloud to the consciousness that he had been modeled after: Sephiroth.

He attempted to sit up, but an irritating soreness in his body made it difficult. His torso was bare, he realized. The injury that Darth Vader had inflicted upon him with his lightsaber hadn't completely healed yet, and he speculated that the lightning that had struck him must have opened the wound further. When Kadaj did manage to sit up, his surroundings spun, along with the pain in his head.

He was unarmed, and trapped in a small room, a cell it seemed. The Imperials had taken him prisoner, and immediately his thoughts went to his brothers. Thick steel walls separated the three of them now, the Reunion further delayed. With an angry snarl Kadaj stood, but in an instant he felt another dark sensation.

_I said go away,_ Kadaj urged. _Mother will choose, not you._

His body shivered, the silver hairs on the back of his neck stood, and horrified, he realized that this consciousness was not Sephiroth, but something else entirely. Kadaj stiffened, bracing himself for whatever malice the dark consciousness was going to inflict.

_**Your mother is here. Come for her.**_

The cell door hissed open without explanation, revealing a very narrow corridor. Kadaj was hesitant. It was obvious that a trap was waiting him for him beyond, but his resolve could not waver. He had to find Mother.

_That black garbed man!_ Kadaj realized with a start. _It was he who took Mother after Shinra tried to get rid of her! He electrified me._

**_Yes…_** It almost seemed as if the consciousness were laughing. **_You are angry. Your mother was taken. What will you do?_**

_Destroy all who stand in my way of her!_ Kadaj answered as he charged out of the cell and down the empty corridor.

**_Good…_** the dark being encouraged. **_Trust your feelings. They will guide you to her. Only your hate will see you to victory._**

Kadaj pretended not to consider the advice, though he could not help but agree with it. Even so, it was probably the dark being that was laying a trap for him, waiting for Kadaj to fall into it. It was a delicate situation for Kadaj, but he had no other choice. He would find Mother or die trying.

"You there! Stop!"

Perhaps he would die trying sooner than he thought. The walkway was narrow and there were stormtroopers appearing to fill both sides, blocking any means of escape. His only option would be to go back into the prison cell, but he was trapped nonetheless. Only two Imperials could stand side by side in the corridor, and as the swarm came at him from both sides, Kadaj fell and whipped out both of his legs in an attempt to trip the nearest stormtroopers. He was successful. Quickly he stood and threw out a flurry of punches. He was still feeling weary from the lightning attack by the black robed figure, but he was quick enough to bring down the humans. Their white armor was hard, but he ignored the material, focusing his energy and strength in ways that made his attacks effective nonetheless. The corridor was crowded. They could not fire at him with blasters without risking the chance that they could easily hit one of their own. Kadaj was grateful for the element of surprise.

_**They are keeping you from your goal. Use your anger. Harness it. Let it consume you.**_

Kadaj growled. He didn't need any of that advice. No one had to tell him twice that he could use his rage as a catalyst. He did. It was working. They didn't even see him coming at them. He so desperately wanted Souba in his hands, however. The two-fanged blade was like an extension of himself, and he felt so naked without it. If only he could hear it's reassuring slice though the flesh of the humans, the traitors.

_**You hunger now. Very good. **_

Kadaj reached out to the dark consciousness, trying to focus on it while attacking the Imperials. An instinct in the back of his mind told him that if he found this dark consciousness, he would find Mother. He would just have to follow the energy it produced. It was emanating from somewhere beyond the corridor. For the first time, Kadaj wondered about his true whereabouts. A stirring beneath him. The hum of machinery. The place he was in was slowly moving. A ship. He was on one of their contraptions in outer space.

_It took Mother millennia to travel the cosmos and reach the world of the Cetra, and here are these traitors, hoping to take her away after all of her hard work!_

The element of surprise he had created was beginning to ware off on his enemies. Of those that had fallen by his hand were beginning to stand, and the others were pressing harder on him. No matter how fierce he fought, he could not help the cramped space he was forced to contend with. They threw themselves at him, and Kadaj fell, trapped by the weight of stormtroopers and their armor. They bound his hands behind him. He screamed for blood, but no one heeded him. Would his search for Mother end in vain?

_**Do not worry. The dark side of the Force is with you.**_

_Shut up,_ Kadaj angrily retorted. He had enough of this consciousness' advice and falsehoods. He was convinced now that it was this being that had laid the trap for him, and had even opened the cell door for him. The humiliation of it all made Kadaj's blood boil with rage.

_When I find you, you'll die,_ Kadaj promised, but he shuddered as maniacal laughter echoed in his mind. He did not feel or sense the dark being from that point onward. The stormtroopers were taking him somewhere. As they pushed him roughly along, Kadaj reached out in desperation to his brothers, Yazoo and Loz, hoping to learn of their location, but he could not feel them, not even through their connection with Mother's cells.

The amount of stormtroopers that surrounded him as he was led through the enormous outer space contraption seemed large enough to be considered it's own army. If he hadn't felt so livid, Kadaj would have been amused by the fact that the humans considered him to be that dangerous as to need so many soldiers to escort him. He received many curious and apprehensive stares from the others that they passed by on the ship, other Imperials. The journey to wherever it was that they were escorting him to seemed to go on for ages, but it came to an end when he was taken to a place guarded by two silent, red-clad wraiths.

He wasn't sure they had faces. The crimson masks that hid their features seemed almost melded with their figures. They stood tall and foreboding, holding pikes while regarding Kadaj silently. The large door they guarded slid open and the wraiths stepped aside to allow Kadaj passage into the room but the group of stormtroopers did not follow him. Instead, it was the pair of crimson sentries that walked closely behind him, and Kadaj felt the urge to swat every one of his pursuers like the flies that they were. If only his hands weren't bound behind him…

Then there was laughter, a high and cold maniacal cackle that Kadaj recognized immediately. The dark being sat upon a throne at the very end of the room, and with a start, Kadaj rushed forward, instantly recognizing him as the cloaked figure who had electrified him. He stopped however, as soon as he remembered that his hands were bound behind him. They would do him no good, especially if the dark being electrified him again.

"Leave us," the dark being commanded, and Kadaj looked behind him as the crimson wraith-like guards bowed before leaving the room. The bindings suddenly fell free from his wrists, and upon reflex, Kadaj rubbed the sore limbs.

"Who are you?" Kadaj hissed, glaring at the dark being.

He could see damaged and decayed teeth from under the figure's hood as the dark being grinned wickedly. "I am the Emperor," he said with a powerful air of authority and dictation. Standing from his throne, the Emperor slowly approached Kadaj. "Do you know why you are here, boy?"

Kadaj tensed as the Emperor came closer. He so wanted to rip the man's throat out, but he sensed that it was not the right time to do so. The man appeared old and frail, but Kadaj knew that those features were only meant to deceive. "You have Mother, don't you? Give her back to me."

From out of his long and billowy black sleeve, the Emperor produced a small metal box. There was a large tear along the top, caused by Rufus Shinra's shotgun, from which a thin line of dark green liquid seeped. Kadaj's eyes widened and he stood paralyzed. He could not even imagine what he would do if he found Mother damaged.

"I will give you back your Mother, Kadaj," the Emperor promised. "It is your destiny to be reunited, we both know that."

Kadaj scowled. "Then why did you take her from me!? You mean to destroy her!!" he shouted. "You're a traitor! All of you humans! You came here to destroy her legacy!"

The Emperor chuckled. "I am not your enemy, nor am I Jenova's enemy. On the contrary, my boy. Did you think that I traveled all this way just to destroy a legacy so fascinating? The legacy of Jenova… even you must know that it is an ancient one."

Kadaj eyed the Emperor suspiciously and slowly answered, "Mother took part on a long and harsh journey. She -,"

" – traveled the cosmos in search of a world that was rich with life, harvested by a race of beings that wished to keep the power they discovered to themselves," the Emperor interrupted him, reciting his words confidently as if he had read them from a text.

Kadaj's silver brow arched. "How… how did you know that?"

"This galaxy is large, boy. If Jenova did indeed travel for a long time, this world must have not been the only one she visited. Jenova has a long history, one pre-dating even that of this planet." The Emperor smiled at Kadaj, one of his acid-yellow eyes visible from under his cowl. "Would you like to know that history, Kadaj? The history of your mother? I can tell you a great many things."

Kadaj's eyes were widened with fascination and curiosity, but he did not trust this man who promised to enlighten thousands of years of lost history. "What do you want?"

The Emperor held the box in front of Kadaj. "Only to make certain that her story is continued. For over two millennia Jenova had been trapped within the bowels of this world, frozen in time. Do forgive a humble student of history for hoping to write some of its pages. Take her."

With shaking hands Kadaj carefully pried the metal box from the Emperor's withering limb. "What if she chooses…?" he whispered.

"Hmm?" the Emperor replied.

Kadaj shook his head. "Nothing." _Whatever her choice, I will do whatever Mother wishes. I owe her that much._

"Reach out to her with your feelings," the Emperor instructed. "She will tell you what is to be done to achieve your destiny."

Kadaj wasn't listening to the old fool or any of his ramblings. He still didn't trust the Emperor, but the only thing he gave a damn about that the moment was being with Mother. Kadaj peered hopefully into the crack of the box with anticipation. "Mother!" Tendrils of foreign thought and consciousness seeped into his mind, whispering to him. The smile on his face faltered. Mother spoke, showing him images of the future, the future intended for him.

"Agh!" he cried out, wincing. She continued to speak, telling him of his origins and purpose in life. It pained him all over. "Mother…" he whimpered, his voice breaking into anguish. "_MOTHER_!!!"

Kadaj screamed and screamed, his cries reverberating off of the ship, amplifying his grief. His brain was on fire, but it was the truth that had been revealed to him that hurt him the most. His true purpose. His true and _temporary_ purpose.

Next to him, Emperor Palpatine was grinning with delight but Kadaj did not seem to notice. Everything was going according to plan, as always. Assuming a façade of understanding, Palpatine placed a 'comforting' hand on Kadaj's bare shoulder. "There, there, my boy. Everything will be set right. Mother always knows what is best after all."

Kadaj's shoulders shook. His lifted his gaze to Palpatine, his curtain of chin-length platinum hair concealing his eyes. "Where are my brothers?"

"Safe," said the Emperor.

"Then take us back to Midgar," Kadaj answered, his voice empty of emotion. "That is what Mother wants. It is at Midgar that I will be with her at last."

Emperor Palpatine nodded, his expression of glee hidden in shadow. "Excellent."

* * *

Rufus Shinra awoke in his cell feeling irritated. There had been some kind of commotion on the ship, the officers outside shouting about an escaped prisoner on a different detention block. Rolling his blue eyes, Rufus shifted on his cot in a vain attempt to make himself more comfortable.

The cell door hissed open. An Imperial entered, his face grave and annoyed. His tunic was decorated with what looked to be important ranks, and flanking him were two Imperial guards. Rufus sat up, donning an amused smirk in spite of the people who kept him prisoner.

"If I had to guess," Rufus began, "I would say that you're the Grand Moff who has been giving us all this trouble. Outlawing materia, torturing people who are on Shin-Ra payroll, destroying Shin-Ra property… I do hope your civilization has a decent court system."

"The Galactic Empire has nothing to answer for," Grand Moff Tarkin answered coldly. "The people of New Korriban are savage terrorists. No technicality in any bureaucracy will spare you."

"New Korriban…" Rufus echoed him in a murmur. "I don't know what it means, but I suppose that it's a sound name for this world. Long ago, I'm sure the planet did have one, but like the names of so many of its landmarks, people have forgotten it."

Tarkin moved forward into the cell and set his back against the wall, seeming to ignore Rufus. "Believe it or not, Shinra, you _do_ have options. Officially, the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company has been charged with organizing a threat to the Empire for which the punishment is usually death to the being most responsible for the crimes."

"I'm flattered," said Rufus sarcastically.

"However," Tarkin continued, "the Emperor himself has ordered me to personally give you the outline of the resources that the Empire wishes to obtain from your company after complete control has been established here. If you choose to cooperate with us, you will be granted a full pardon and will be allowed to keep your position as owner and president of your company. In return, you must swear loyalty to the Galactic Empire and Emperor Palpatine. While your company will continue to have private status, you must agree to lend your resources and assistance to the Empire when they are asked for.

"An interesting set of options, one I never expected to receive from the Emperor at all," Rufus answered, intrigued.

"If you give the Emperor your loyalty, the Shin-Ra Electric Power Company will have the opportunity to expand beyond New Korriban. All of that, in exchange for loyalty and cooperation."

Rufus' young handsome face was impassive, the emotion in his eyes barely discernable. "Believe me, it is a tempting offer. Your Emperor is a merciful one, and I will not ignore what he has offered me, but there is a debt I have to repay before I pay the Empire with any loyalties."

"I'm sure funds are not a -,"

"Shin-Ra owes the planet a lot," Rufus interrupted him. "It goes without saying that my company and I are responsible for the planet being in the sorry state that it's in. Believe it or not, Shin-Ra was once a lot like the Empire. My father built it from its very foundations, but he believed that he could control the people through money. I believed in a different approach altogether, and it proved to be effective once the old man was murdered by Sephiroth. _Fear_, Grand Moff, a method that shouldn't be foreign to you."

Tarkin returned his words with a tight smile and a nod. "I see. So what happened? You obviously don't refer to fear as way of control any longer, even though you know of how useful it can be."

Rufus raised a pale hand, the back of it facing Tarkin. "_This_ happened." Tarkin glared with disgust at the black Geostigma blemishes and pus pockets that marred what would have been smooth, creamy skin. "The planet decays just like our bodies decay with Geostigma. You speak of loyalties in exchange for conglomerates and the expansion of my company, but what's the point in controlling anything if we're all dead?"

Tarkin tensed. "What are you saying, Shinra? That Geostigma will spread to other systems?"

"I'm saying that you should focus your power on the _real_ threat here instead of worrying about civilians using materia to cure the illnesses of their children and of weary ex-SOLDIER's hiding in Midgar's ruins. Vader knows what it is. Ask him about it."

Grand Moff Tarkin's face reddened with resentment as he spat, "If you are referring to Sephiroth, then like Lord Vader, you should mind your paranoia. Not even he could convince the Emperor of this threat you speak of. His excellency would not have sent the best fleet in the Imperial Navy to seek Sephiroth if he did not have control or a strategy in mind."

Rufus titled his head slightly, studying Tarkin critically. "I once sent the only operational spaceship ever built on this planet to attack the meteor that Sephiroth summoned. It was equipped with the most powerful materia made by mankind. Do you know what happened?"

Tarkin blinked, scowling.

"The rocket ship was destroyed," said Rufus. "It collided with Meteor, and the Huge Materia blew Meteor apart. Then the pieces reattached themselves to the comet and Sephiroth's summoning increased in speed and power. What would have been at least three weeks to prepare became little more than seven days."

Rufus looked away, his eyes darkened with memory. "I don't doubt that the Emperor has a marvelous plan in mind. What you need to realize is that Sephiroth does too. I don't know what that plan may be, but he is resilient, relentless, and merciless. Extremely intelligent, what was considered to be his madness can also be recognized as genius. He has enough power to master any materia, including one that can call forth a meteor light years away. A burning rage. Violent anger. The Empire doesn't know Sephiroth like we do."

"So I'll happily consider the Emperor's offer, and more than likely, I'll even accept it…" Rufus lay down on the cot, his eyes closed. "…If we survive."

Grand Moff Tarkin stared at the young president with a frown, but said nothing. Rufus rested there, appearing as if he knew not of Tarkin's presence. His upper lip curled up in a mixture of disgust and annoyance, Tarkin left the cell with his stormtrooper bodyguards, leaving Rufus Shinra to his own devices.

* * *

He sensed her approach, as well as the question on her mind. Darth Vader stared through the view port of the _Devastator's _command bridge, appearing as a frightening black sentinel overlooking the Empire's conquest, New Korriban. The Star Destroyer followed the orbit it was on, slowly making way over the large and dead spot that was Midgar and it's wasteland. He could sense some apprehension from General Posada as she neared him.

"So what's going to happen now?" she spoke. When he answered only with monotonous mechanical breaths, she added, "_If_ I may ask."

Why was she asking him? What gave her the right or the nerve? Was it courage, or stupidity? Contrary to his still-as-a-statue form, Vader was feeling temperamental. Within a few hours, Reunion would begin, and the last thing the Sith Lord cared to attend to were the Shin-Ra general's petty concerns. He was ready to begin a Force-choke on her when he felt her turn away from him.

"That's fine," she said. "I suppose the Emperor knows. I guess I'll go ask _him_ instead."

"General Posada."

Naomi turned back around to find Vader facing her. "Sephiroth will return," he said.

She nodded, casting her eyes to the ground. "Oh."

Vader eyed her critically. "But that wasn't the question you wanted to ask."

The SOLDIER looked up at him. "You're going to kill him, aren't you?"

"How did you know?" Vader asked.

Naomi shook her head. "It was… a feeling that I had. I could tell that the Emperor was definitely interested in him, obviously, but something was different about you. Forgive me for assuming, sir, I can tell that you're loyal to Emperor Palpatine, but Sephiroth bothers you as much as he bothers the rest of us, doesn't it? He's in your way of something."

Darth Vader did not want to be impressed by her intuition, but those in SOLDIER were Force-sensitive after all. Still, she had no right to voice that intuition, so as she began to cough and hack from his applied Force choke, Vader glanced back through the view port. Judging by the position of the sun, night was coming over the Midgarian portion of New Korriban.

When he released her, he was slightly surprised that she was still calm. Not angry, not afraid. That displeased him. If she ever proved to be a liability, Vader would kill her, and it would probably be soon. Any sentient being that reacted in the same manner as a Jedi would deserved to die.

Rubbing her throat with one hand she continued in a hoarse voice, "Call me crazy, but… I have faith that you'll win." Vader turned in a swift and abrupt motion, perplexed. "Believe me, anything that the Empire has to offer can't be _nearly _as bad as Sephiroth."

"Are you… surrendering to the Empire, General?" Vader questioned. While he felt he was certain she would give in eventually, he hadn't expected her to do so willingly. Perhaps her resolve wasn't so adamant after all.

Naomi straightened, nodding. "Yes. I suppose I am. If you do manage to defeat Sephiroth, the Empire has my support any day." While her composure was calm, remorse and some fear shone in her eyes. It was almost remarkable, that the inhabitants of New Korriban could fear a man far more than they feared Vader and the Empire. He would make sure to rectify that.

"Very well," Vader replied. "You are dismissed, _Imperial_ General Posada."

She saluted him and left. Vader watched New Korriban through the transparisteel, now feeling more contemplative than temperamental. Vader meant to stop Reunion by killing Kadaj, but now he anticipated it. The Sith Lord wanted to see for himself what it was that made Sephiroth so widely feared, and Vader vowed to demonstrate worse once he found out what that was.

The very idea of witnessing Sephiroth cower before him put Darth Vader in a considerably better mood.

* * *

"Cloud? Cloud, wake up."

Cloud groaned and turned onto his side, away from the distraction that meant to take him from the Chocobo Sage's comfortable couch. He had trouble sleeping as it was, with Cid snoring loudly on the floor and Yuffie on the recliner talking about materia in her sleep. But as soon as his eyes opened, he snapped awake at the sight of Vincent's crimson irises boring into him.

"Shit!" he gasped, backing away as far as he could. "What is it, Vincent?"

Vincent straightened. "I'm sorry. Did I startle you?"

"Umm, no," Cloud lied. "No. What's wrong?"

"Come with me," he said, turning away with a dramatic billowing of his scarlet cape. "Don't wake the others yet."

After pulling his boots on, Cloud carefully stepped around the sleeping bodies of Cid and Barret on the floor. Nanaki was curled up next to the fireplace, appearing the most peaceful of the bunch. Grabbing his sword from behind the couch, he followed Vincent outside, onto the front porch. A bitter gale accompanied the darkness of the early morning hours, and Cloud found himself shrinking back from the cold while Vincent stood on the porch, seemingly unaffected by it. Cloud flushed in slight embarrassment, wondering how it was that the former Turk seemed so unaffected by _everything_.

"Look to the sky past the mountains," Vincent instructed, pointing a clawed finger to the distance ahead. The sky was littered with stars as well as the dark outlines of the Imperial Star Destroyers in orbit, concealing the stars temporarily as they passed.

"What am I looking for?" Cloud asked as he leaned towards Vincent to receive a more precise view of where Vincent was pointing.

"It's moving slow, but it has circled this region several times tonight," Vincent explained. "However, as the blizzards pick up, it's forced to double back and retrace its course. It searches whenever there is enough visibility in the area."

"What is?" Cloud questioned, his yellow eyebrows knitted together in confusion as he tried to find what it was that Vincent was referring to without avail.

"Think of them as two stars, close together and moving simultaneously in perfect alignment, about a centimeter apart when seen from this distance."

Cloud looked again, squinting, and just as he was about to give up and give in to his frustration (he hadn't slept well, after all), he saw it. Two bright lights, moving horizontally across the sky. "A plane?" he asked.

Vincent shook his head. "No. The object in question has the ability to move freely in any direction, where as a plane relies on lift just to ascend. A plane, even a fighter jet, makes wide turns in order to change direction. What we're looking at makes much sharper ones."

Cloud tensed. "Imperial fighters, then?"

Vincent stared at the sight for a long moment. "…Maybe."

"You sound doubtful."

"In this environment," Vincent said, "an Imperial fighter would be putting itself through unnecessary dangers by braving the harsh weather conditions in such a small ship. No. If it were an Imperial fighter, it would have come in a group."

Cloud nodded. "It could be a shuttle then. Reno mentioned that they had sent one to the Northern Crater."

"From what we experienced in Edge," Vincent replied, "those shuttles can hold a generous amount of troops and supplies. It won't be long until we're discovered."

Cloud grimaced. "Not unless they get tired of having to double back. Maybe they'll give up."

"That's also a possibility," Vincent admitted, "but dawn is not far away. We'll be easier to find by light."

"Yeah," he agreed, and was about to add further onto the subject, until something caught his eye. "It's coming our way!" Cloud exclaimed.

Vincent glared at the object. Already the two lights on it had become brighter. "It must have found a clearing in the storm. So much for dawn. I give it about half an hour." Glancing at Cloud, he said, "Go. I'll prepare the _Shera_."

"Damn," Cloud cursed as he ran inside. As soon as he began yelling for the others to wake, disgruntled curses and complaints answered him.

"Whaa…?" Yuffie yawned.

"Can it, blondie," Barret muttered as he turned onto his side. "People are tryin' to sleep here." Sighing in exasperation, Cloud kicked him awake.

"What is your major malfunction!" Yuffie shouted, now fully coherent.

"We've been spotted," Cloud quickly explained. "Hurry up. Vincent's already prepping the airship."

Growling, Cid got to his feet and was instantly at the door. "Like hell he is! No one turns that ship on but me!"

As soon as the occupants of the living room were awake, along with an unhappy green chocobo that warked in vexation, Cloud hurried upstairs into the second bedroom to wake Tifa, Resia, and Shera. In five minutes, the lot of them were on the command bridge of the _Shera_.

"Anyone here who's sittin' on his ass better get to a station," Cid threatened, "or I'm leaving you here to deal with the assholes on your own."

Clutching her already sick stomach, Yuffie reluctantly approached some controls. In record time, the airship's propellers were on, and it was in the air, speeding away from the Chocobo Sage's domain.

"If anything, we should lead it away from there," Cloud informed. "The Chocobo Sage doesn't deserve any Imperial torture."

"But where to, now?" Tifa asked, glancing outside where a tiny sliver of pink and purple sky awakened the east. "We have no where to go now."

Cloud shook his head just as alarms began to sound. Resia shouted, "Unidentified aircraft is entering our proximity."

"Damn it!" Cid shouted. "Already!?"

Just then the _Shera_ shook violently, the few red blasts that missed the airship easily visible from the command bridge. Vincent leapt gracefully over his station and rushed to the railing at the front of the bridge, where a strange-looking ship quickly passed and turned to face them, ready to fire again.

"It's him," Vincent said, his piercing eyes looking dangerous. "The bounty hunter."

For the first time, the other members of AVALANCHE looked upon the _Slave I_, the notorious ship that the rest of the galaxy knew to belong to the infamous bounty hunter, Boba Fett.

"So we meet again," Vincent murmured.

"He's not doing anything," Cloud needlessly announced.

"He hopes to turn us in alive," Vincent explained. "Brining us down would be completely contradictory to that goal."

"Well, if he thinks he's gonna scare me into landing, he can kiss my sweet ass!" Cid proclaimed as he brought his fist down on some controls. Missiles launched out of the _Shera_, but were easily evaded by the _Slave I_.

"Where the hell did he go?" Cid demanded.

Resia looked worriedly at the radar. "He's retreating due south. No, wait, he's coming around again."

Cid pointed at Shera. "Activate the rear machine guns. Blast the shit out of him! In the meantime, everybody hang on, I'm gonna punch it!"

The warning did not seem to come soon enough, as half of the _Shera's_ crew found themselves thrown across the bridge when the airship was thrust forward. The chase continued well past the sunrise. _Slave I_ was relentless in her pursuit.

"We don't seem to be doing him any damage, I'm afraid," Shera regretfully announced. "And he hasn't shot at us since."

"He probably has shields. If we don't do something soon," Cloud warned, "he'll chase us right into Vader's hands."

"That's probably his strategy," Nanaki said. "We must be worth a fortune all together if he means to capture us all."

"Wait," Tifa suddenly stood from her station. "I've got an idea." Without warning she ran out of the command bridge.

"What the hell is she doing?" Cid shouted, as he stared into the surveillance monitors hanging from the ceiling. "Why the hell is she going out on the deck?"

"Tifa!" Cloud shouted, bolting out of the room after her. He found her exactly where Cid said she was located: outside on the deck above the ship, her hands gripping the railing and her long brown hair slapping her face against the wind as she stared back at their pursuer's starfighter.

"What are you doing?" Cloud shouted over the gale as he grabbed her arm to pull her back. "You'll get killed out here!" It was enough effort to keep themselves from flying off the deck at the speed that Cid was flying.

She pulled away from him. "I have some materia on me. I don't think he's expecting that yet."

Cloud blinked, stunned. He had some materia on him as well. "Well… it certainly has the element of surprise."

Tifa grinned and carefully guided herself to the stern of the deck, by means of the hand railings. By the time Cloud reached her, she had pulled out a green orb from her materia armlet. "You won't believe what I brought with me," she said loudly over the roaring wind.

Cloud's eyes narrowed as he tried to sense the materia's function. "You're going to try to dispel him?"

She looked at him hopefully. "You think it'll work?"

Cloud shook his head. "The ship has a shield, but we've only ever tried Debarrier on shields created with materia. I'm not sure it'll work on technology."

"If it works though," Tifa answered, "we can finally damage him and get him off our backs. If not, we can always bombard him with materia spells and hopefully the shield will ware off."

The bounty hunter's ship was gaining on them, and the bullets that the _Shera_ fired only seemed to bounce off the shield. Cloud and Tifa found themselves ducking and wincing, fearing the bullets would ricochet in the wrong direction. Tifa closed her eyes and concentrated.

"Wait," Cloud interrupted her, placing his hand over hers, the one that held the materia. "I'll help you. Two heads are better than one right?"

Tifa smiled gratefully and nodded. "Right."

Cloud squeezed his gloved hand reassuringly over hers as the pair began to focus on the materia's power. The deflected bullets still worried him, but as he tapped into the power of the Lifestream contained within the orb, he felt that worry melt away. Something was different as well. He could feel Tifa's energy melding with his, as if they were one. His strength and confidence doubled. He hadn't felt this connected to Tifa in over two years, since she had helped regain his sanity in the Lifestream. It felt so reassuring, to have that bond with her again.

When they finally tapped into the materia, they felt it breach the _Slave I's _shield. Instead of ricocheting, the bullets fired by the airship found their mark, and while it wasn't necessarily enough to pierce the ship's hull, it was certainly a start.

"Right," Tifa nodded assuredly. "Let's show this guy who he's messing with!"

Spells of lightning and balls of fire mercilessly bombarded _Slave I_, and once again, Boba Fett took to impressive evasive maneuvers. Moments later, Yuffie and Barret joined them on deck with materia of their own.

"I think Vincent was right about this guy wanting to take us in all at once," Yuffie told them as she sent enormous spikes of ice at the ship. "I'm sure he has enough power to blow us into smithereens."

"Get down!" Barret shouted, pushing the other three to the deck's floor. The _Slave I_ blasted the deck, blowing away part of the railing.

"He figured us out," said Tifa, looking at Cloud next to her on the ground.

"I think he chose not to be more precise," Cloud speculated. "I doubt he would want to lose _my_ head at least. I'm sure I'm a high price on the wanted list."

"Quit braggin'," Barret muttered.

Yuffie was already standing and pointing at the enemy ship when she exclaimed, "He's giving up!"

"And look!" Tifa added as they got to their feet. "We hurt him a bit!"

As the _Slave I_ faded away into the distance, fires and scars on the hull of the ship were just barely discernable. Yuffie jumped up and whooped in excitement, only to empty out the contents of her stomach on the port side of the deck from having temporarily forgotten her own motion sickness. Barret fired rounds from his gun arm in the bounty hunter's general direction just to add an attempt at further intimidation, while Tifa threw her arms around Cloud and embraced him. Upon reflex, Cloud's arms wrapped around Tifa's body, but then she released herself from him, blushing slightly and purposely looking away.

Cloud shook the dazed feeling from his head and cleared his throat. "He'll be back later, I'm sure."

Tifa nodded, looking down at her feet. "Mmhmm. Yeah." The four of them rejoined the others down at the bridge.


	21. JENOVA

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. Original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story belong to me. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Twenty: J-E-N-O-V-A**

The _Shera_'s landing had been rough, but successful nonetheless. "_You're all clear blondie,_" had been Cid's confirmation, "_so hurry your ass up!_" Cloud didn't need a push forward to oblige. As soon as the ramp was opened, _Fenrir_'s engine roared and Cloud was once again speeding through the wasteland, his destination: Midgar.

He kept his eyes on the distant ruins, but a good part of his attention was focused on the sounds of the _Shera_'s propellers as the airship quickly flew away from the area. It was just as well. They hadn't seen the bounty hunter again, but they were still expecting him to return, and Edge was heavily guarded by the Imperials. His friends were anxious and desperate to join the final battle, but Cloud feared that the airship would be ambushed if they stayed too close to the scene.

_Final…_ Cloud contemplated the word. It held a heavy double meaning. As soon as they had spotted the three motorcycles from above, AVALANCHE instantly knew that they belonged to none other than Kadaj and his two clone partners, paving their road to Reunion. If he failed to stop them, it really would be the final battle after all, one that he would not see victory to. If felt like the fateful night they dove into the Northern Crater to fight Sephiroth – a race against time, yet time seemed to slow for the most important moments of their lives.

_And even if I do stop them,_ Cloud thought as he kept an eye on the tire tracks left behind by Kadaj, _how many lives will be lost to the Empire afterwards? What if this isn't the final battle at all?_

"One thing at a time," he muttered to himself. There was no use in trying to tackle their problems all at once.

He reached the ruins sooner than he thought he would, and without any Imperial interruption, to his surprise. Cloud expected Midgar to be swarming with stormtroopers, but then again, hadn't Kadaj, Yazoo and Loz already been captured by the Empire? How had they escaped?

That strange tingling sensation made the tiny blond hairs on the back of his neck stand. Instead of questioning the feeling, however, Cloud attempted to understand it. It allowed him to discover a whole new perspective thought: _The Empire came here in search of Sephiroth. The Empire is aiding Kadaj._

Cloud was surprised by his deduction. Usually, he only questioned possibilities, but this time he had embraced it, even without evidence to prove it's validity. As _Fenrir_ slid down the giant slope that encircled the slums of ruined Midgar, Cloud decided that he needed to take some time off to contemplate all of the hyper-sensitive feelings and senses that had been occurring to him recently.

_When all of this is over_, he promised himself.

Ruins had collapsed and barricaded one of the paths to Sector 5. Kadaj's motorcycle tracks ended just before the giant pile of rubble. Cloud sighed with some frustration as he brought his own vehicle to a stop. He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply, ignoring the loud rumble of the motorcycle engine beneath him.

"Where could they have gone…" he asked himself. Midgar was enormous, and there were plenty of places to hide. It was obvious that Kadaj had caused the collapse to keep others from following in his pursuit, but now Cloud had to search the hard way, only able to guess at where Kadaj might be.

_Okay, think. You weren't far behind, they can't have gotten that far…_ Cloud was pressed for time, but he felt strangely calm, calmer than he ever felt. All he needed were his instincts…

Cloud's eyes snapped open. A feeling jarred inside of him, almost as if someone had punched him in the stomach. He couldn't quite explain it, but it was as if he could see, no, _feel_ a flame being snuffed out…

"The church?"

Cloud made a U-turn on _Fenrir_. Whatever was happening, it was definitely occurring in the Sector 5 church, and while the main road was blocked off, there were always shortcuts.

_Considering they haven't been blocked off either_. Cloud hoped that for once, Kadaj had underestimated him.

Within moments, Cloud found the church, his hope fulfilled, but he hesitated. Something was wrong. The church usually gave off a specific feeling, almost like a presence of peace and sanctuary. The only thing he felt from the building now was darkness, evil – and it wasn't foreign to him.

_Vader! _Cloud realized. His instincts had led him into a trap, and it may have already been too late to recover from his mistake. _I can't take him on alone…_His sword would be sliced instantly by Vader's weapon, and the Dark Lord's powers would render him immobile. Cloud instinctively touched his throat, remembering his first encounter with the Sith Lord. He wouldn't stand a chance.

_Maybe if I call Tifa and the others…_ Cloud shook the thought away immediately. The idea of seeing Tifa at Vader's mercy… or any of his friends…

Cloud's grip tightened over the handlebars of his bike. "I can't stop now. If I die… well, no one can say I didn't try."

Cloud accelerated, _Fenrir_ roaring as it charged for the church's heavy front doors with the front wheel high up in the air. It fell on the doors, slamming them open for Cloud, but he found himself veering the bike away sharply as an entire wooden pew flew his way. It crashed into a hundred splinters on the stone wall behind him.

"You are a traitor! The Emperor granted us safe passage to Reunion!"

Yazoo stood on the bed of flowers, his weapon aimed at Vader, who stood tall and imposing in front of the altar, the glow of his lightsaber staining the white church walls a faint crimson. Cloud found Loz's limp body hung over one of the pews, a stab wound clearly visible through his back.

"Only one of you is needed," Darth Vader declared, and then his lightsaber flew from his outstretched hand, spinning in a way that made the glowing blade look like a thin red disk as it went for Sephiroth's gun-slinging clone. Yazoo reacted with a single gunshot in retaliation, but it was too late. The shot missed, and Yazoo's head was cut clean off, his body slumping to the floor like a headless rag doll.

There was no blood, but Cloud could only gape as the clone's head rolled his way and Vader caught the lightsaber perfectly by its hilt. Cloud pulled out his assembled sword from _Fenrir's _compartment. The giant weapon he used against Bahamut the day before was heavy, but reassuring nonetheless. He remained seated on the motorcycle.

"Strife," Vader hissed. The sounds of his breathing apparatus echoed against the walls, making them seem much more menacing.

Cloud scanned the area quickly, but other than Yazoo and Loz's corpses, only he and Vader occupied the church. "Where's Kadaj?"

"His location is irrelevant as far as you are concerned."

Cloud tensed in his seat on _Fenrir_. "You don't understand! I need to stop him before he brings Sephiroth back!"

Darth Vader raised his lightsaber in front of him. "Then allow me to release you from that _burdening_ responsibility." The Sith Lord was suddenly upon him, and Cloud had only seconds to escape, evading the lethal blade by swerving the motorbike out of the way and racing it to the complete opposite side of the church, but Vader did not chase him.

The Sith Lord stood with his arm outstretched towards Cloud, and Cloud lifted his sword in a near panic that Vader was going to choke him, but he felt no pressure on his throat. Instead, the fragile building shook, and Cloud felt as if he were standing in a trembling house of cards.

His instincts kicked him in the gut, so to speak – he still had no other way to describe it – and Cloud sped the motorcycle away again, ducking his head and narrowly avoiding the large marble column behind him that collapsed over the bed of flowers. Rubble fell around him from the roof. The top end of the column wound up falling through a large hole in the church's destroyed wall, the pillar creating a ramp-like exit out of the place of worship.

_Did he cause that with his powers?_ Cloud briefly wondered, but did not have time to ponder it for very long. Something beneath the fallen column snapped, and suddenly the bed of flowers was being flooded with water.

'_Flowers? How nice. You almost never see them here in slums,'_ Cloud's memories whispered to him. The water rose quickly, already reaching his ankles. Vader took no other action, seeming to regard the rising water level with some hidden emotion.

_So there had been a water mane under Sector 5 all along,_ Cloud realized, his thoughts briefly drifting to a young woman who preferred to dress in pink – a beautiful, yet mysterious green-eyed flower merchant. The church, in spite of Vader's presence, was no longer feeling so dangerous.

Vader could feel what was happening. He felt the Force pulse all around him, more so than when he first felt it upon entering the church. Midgar was, for all intents and purposes, a dead city, but the church in which he found Yazoo and Loz pulsated with life. He felt the Lifestream everywhere, a strange, yet soothing power that seemed to overwhelm the church, but it was not the dark side. It seemed to be the very opposite.

The water was at Cloud's knees, but then a single stand of liquid started to rise of it's own accord, twisting through the air and joined gradually by other streams of water. They entwined into a thick mass, nearly as tall as Vader himself, but then it suddenly exploded into a fountain that sprayed the entire church with droplets heavy enough to force Vader to deactivate his lightsaber to save it from short-circuiting.

Cloud was soaked, but the water was surprisingly cool and refreshing. The water seeped through his clothes, cooling his skin. He felt a tingling sensation on his left arm, not at all uncomfortable, and he tore the long sleeve off, watching in astonishment as the black Geostigma sores seemed to merely dissolve away, revealing healthy fair skin, as if the disease had never ailed him.

Water touched the bodies of Yazoo and Loz. Instead of floating in the rising pool of liquid, they dissolved into pure energy that looked no different than the Lifestream. The particles of green light rose to the ceiling and eventually evaporated into nothingness. Loz and Yazoo and returned to the planet. They became one with the Force.

A pressure in Cloud's mind seemed to have lifted. Cloud felt as if he had been holding his breath for a very long time. By some insane miracle, his Geostigma had been completely cured by _water_. The irony of it all was almost outrageous.

_Holy water_, he called it, and for a moment he forgot all about Darth Vader. Cloud could only feel Aerith's presence. He did not know whether to laugh or cry.

Vader did not need to see it to understand. The Force was at work inside the church in a manner he had never encountered before. All he knew was that it belonged to the _light_, and he had every reason to deem it a threat, if necessary, but for the moment it only seemed to heal the Geostigma disease.

_On it's own_, Vader realized,_ of the Force's own accord._ There could be no one else behind it, after all. There were no more Jedi, and Strife had little to no knowledge of the Force.

But it was all a distraction, and as remarkable as the occurrence in the church was, Vader had a Reunion to witness. As Cloud examined his Geostigma-less body, Vader leapt onto the column and ran up the makeshift ramp out of the church. Kadaj was still in Midgar, he sensed, somewhere nearby.

Cloud noticed Darth Vader's departure and quickly sat himself back on _Fenrir_ before the water could completely submerge the vehicle. The ascent of the liquid seemed to slow, but he didn't want to take any chances. As he followed Vader's path up the column-ramp, Cloud left something behind in the church that allowed him to feel a confidence he hadn't felt in over two years.

The last droplet of water from the fountain spray landed with a gentle splash into the pool.

_**Let's go, Cloud

* * *

**_

Kadaj's entire being seemed about ready to explode with the fury and anguish building up inside of him. His brothers were dead. He felt their consciousnesses end through Mother's cells. The cells she had given to them as gifts seemed to be no more. With them died another part of Mother.

Yazoo had screamed _traitor_ in his mind, and before Kadaj felt him return to the planet, his older brother sent him an image, the image of the traitor. Vader.

_You will die today, human,_ Kadaj promised, and he hoped that Vader could sense his thoughts as clearly as Kadaj could see the Dark Lord approaching from far away. From the roof of one of Midgar's buildings, Kadaj paced anxiously, wanting nothing more than to tear the Emperor's puppet limb from limb.

**_Puppet…_**

Kadaj stopped and stared with some horror at the box he had been clutching in his arms. Mother was speaking to him again, reminding him of his role. She told him to be patient. Revenge would come. His hatred would meld with hers, and it would be Mother that would engulf the world with her wrath. And when the world was nothing but a dying sore in the empty fabric of space, she would devour other worlds. In her he sensed a hunger for calamity that would never be sated. In that moment Kadaj felt a deep love for his Mother. He would do as she asked, despite his role, despite his function in her ultimate plan. He wanted to see her destroy it all. He wanted to see her achieve the god-like power she had always wanted. He wanted to see her happy.

"I'm here with you, Mother," he whispered lovingly into the broken crack of the box, "so don't worry."

The sound of an engine. Kadaj glared behind him where a motorcycle approached from below on one of the ruined highways. Vader was coming from another direction, but the vehicle was nearer, of course, because of its speed. A blond haired relative dismounted from the motorcycle, brandishing the largest sword Kadaj had ever seen. He grinned.

"Brother!" he called out to Cloud. "I'm finally with her at last!"

Cloud's bright blue gaze hardened. "So what's going to happen now?"

Kadaj looked to the box cradled under his arm with a fond gaze. "Mother will tell me."

Cloud sighed inwardly, thinking back to a time when he might have answered the same way, though not of his own free will. "I guess a remnant wouldn't really know."

Sephiroth's clone shrugged. "So_ what _if I'm a puppet?" The materia in Kadaj's arm began to glow and Cloud could see the energy being gathered around him. "Once upon a time…"

"…_you were too!_"

Vader had arrived just in time to witness Kadaj hurling streams of lightning at Cloud Strife.

* * *

_Shin-Ra Headquarters. A mere whisper of an echo of the company's once lavish past._

Emperor Palpatine descended the ramp from his personal shuttle. The lone skyscraper in Midgar's ruins was over seventy stories high, and the cloaked Emperor stood upon its roof. A gale blew through the folds of his heavy black robes, but they were nothing compared to the winds at the altitudes of Imperial Center's tallest edifices. He came to observe, merely to observe, and when the time was right, he would move closer to the scene, to make sure that he was the primary author of the next few pages of history.

His apprentice was far away still, but Palpatine could sense his power surging. Lord Vader was confronting Kadaj once again. There was another factor involved, meddling with their affairs, but Palpatine wasn't concerned with that. He was quite certain that Vader would rid them of the little pest.

_And I have not forgotten about Lord Bane's law, my servant_, thought the Emperor. _Should you survive this day on New Korriban, you would have proven yourself once again worthy of the Sith Order._

The scarred visage of the Emperor tightened as he smiled deviously. He had given them all, including his apprentice, the impression that he had only come for Sephiroth. Yes, the young warrior was an integral part of his scheme, but if Vader defeated him, his plans would still run accordingly. The Emperor would win regardless.

* * *

_A duel between the Jedi's chosen one, and Jenova's chosen one. _Palpatine grinned maliciously with anticipation. Unless they managed to kill one another at once, Darth Sidious would either keep his prevailing dark knight, or gain a seraph of destruction.

Cloud leapt out of the way of Kadaj's lightning attack, but was then thrown back by some invisible force. When Cloud stood again to face the clone, Darth Vader had already appeared, attacking Kadaj with his lightsaber. Kadaj seemed to be on the offensive, however, moving faster than Cloud had ever seen him fight.

_I don't understand,_ he realized as he stared at their duel. _Why is Vader fighting him if the Empire is here for Sephiroth?_ Wasn't trying to kill Kadaj a little contradictory to the cause?

_Unless he has his own agenda,_ thought Cloud. It was all the more reason to become involved. Cloud ignored the pain in his back from being thrown by Vader's powers and charged towards the scene, flanking Kadaj. The clone jumped high up into the air, and Cloud had to roll away from the cutting path of Vader's lightsaber. Both the Sith Lord and the blond swordsman found Kadaj ascending a higher building.

"Stay out of these affairs Strife," Vader commanded. "They have nothing to do with you." Vader leapt after Kadaj, reaching incredible heights with just one bound.

Cloud shook his head, running a hand through his blond spiked hair. "What're you kidding?" he muttered. _I was thrown into all of this a _long_ time ago._

He smirked then. Reason number two to become involved. Cloud ran towards the building, and jumped into the air after them. It wasn't difficult to catch up. He had learned a while ago that if he needed to jump a discouraging distance, all he had to do was gather enough momentum or energy by running or by some other means. Having a Mako enhanced body helped matters as well.

When he found them it was on the roof, Kadaj dodging attacks by Vader. Cloud saw Vader levitate a large piece of concrete and as it flew for Kadaj, the clone completely obliterated the object with a short burst of his lightning materia. As bits of rock flew everywhere, Cloud jumped into the conflict, his sword clanging with Kadaj's two-fanged katana. Their combat became a fast-paced dance around the roof, Cloud's large weapon countering Kadaj's speed. As Kadaj fought, Cloud was able to use the size of his sword as a shield. Kadaj could not find an opening.

The battle moved to another, taller building, but neither of them realized how high up they were ascending. Kadaj was no longer on an offensive, not with both Vader and Cloud pursuing him. The balance would only shift when Vader felt the need to try to knock Cloud away from scene, either with his powers, or an attempt to slice him in half with his lightsaber. Kadaj fought with only one arm, the other protectively clutching the box Rufus had kept from him, so he needed every opportunity to escape in order to protect Mother.

_But where am I supposed to run? When is the right time or place for Reunion?_

Not yet, he felt in the deepest part of his mind. It was Mother speaking to him. Soon, but not yet. Kadaj needed to keep following his most basic of instincts. His own blood seemed to pull him towards the center of the city, where the headquarters for Shin-Ra used to be. As he crossed gaps and dodged blades, faint memories of sterile rooms and humans dressed in white crossed his mind, but those thoughts were meaningless when compared to the very strong need he felt to reach the center of Midgar. His blood seemed to boil in an almost painful way, but Kadaj knew that it was only Mother's cells trying to guide him. He needed to remain vigilant.

The chase continued until Kadaj stopped on one of the tallest structures. They were closer than ever to the original Shin-Ra building, the ground a frightening amount of meters below, with nothing but sharp scrap metal and rubbish filling the blood-stained dirt and pieces of the divisional plate that still remained in tact to separate the city from the old slums. Kadaj waited. It was almost time.

When Cloud and Darth Vader found him, they only stopped to stare, rather than fighting one another again. Kadaj, beckoned them forth with one gloved hand, and both fighters were hesitant. Suddenly, Kadaj tossed the box into the air behind him. Vader and Cloud ran forward with a start, but Kadaj had followed right after Jenova's capsule, catching it and tearing open the box as he fell. Souba was forgotten as he merely let it slip out of his grip, the blade joining other emotionless pieces of metal below. The package discarded, Kadaj clutched an unseen object in his hands close to his chest. Time seemed to slow for the three of them.

"_My Reunion…_" he murmured, his gaze full of maniacal glee. "Bet you're _dying_ to watch…"

As Kadaj fell he pushed the object into his chest and groaned, feeling pain erupt throughout his entire body. The paleness of his face became marred by a numerous amount of tiny black veins that crept upward towards his brain. The closer he fell towards the earth, the more relaxed his face appeared, his eyes closed and his expression a passive submission to the powers that were Jenova's. His feet touched the surface, seemingly without the heavy impact or force that physics usually warranted when objects fell from overwhelming heights.

Darth Vader felt a surge of the dark side and sensed a disturbance in the Force, but Cloud Strife was the first to act.


	22. Advent, One Winged Angel

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. Original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story belong to me. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Twenty-One: Advent, One-Winged Angel**

Cloud dove headfirst off of the building with his sword in front of him. He was aiming for Kadaj, who stood below with his head bowed and his shoulders slouched. The clone didn't seem to care or even realize that he was about to be cleaved in half by Cloud's massive weapon, but as soon as Cloud's blade was just inches from delving into Kadaj's skull, his entire descent was halted abruptly with a resounding _CLANG!_ Cloud felt pressure push back on his sword and on his arms from the impact, but his body was not shoved away, as physics would have intended it to be. Instead, he found that he had no control over his limbs, or anything else, as his body seemed suspended by invisible puppet strings.

As he was perched unwillingly in midair, his sword crossed with another, Cloud's blue eyes widened at the sight before him. The person he dove to attack was no longer Kadaj. By mere seconds, Cloud was too late.

"Good to see you," murmured a silky yet paralyzing male voice. Cloud's eternal enemy raised his head, a scalp of silver hair parting to reveal a pale and dangerously stunning face. Blazing viridian eyes were like daggers as their black pupils narrowed to feline slits in accordance to the man's cruel smirk. "_Cloud_."

In his enemy's hands was a long, immaculate blade, the only force blocking Cloud's sword. The man suddenly pushed the blade forward, and Cloud shouted as he flew back, hitting the nearest building before falling unceremoniously to the debris-strewn ground. Cloud grunted as he struggled to stand, his entire body aching with pain. Someone landed some ways to his left, and upon hearing the artificial yet intimidating inhales and exhales, Cloud realized that it was Vader, apparently hoping to interfere with the conflict.

Sephiroth shot a look of recognition at Vader, one that left Cloud questioning what he had missed in the time that Kadaj had been under the Empire's custody. Vader did not seem to find the look amusing, however, and sent a heavy concrete block at Sephiroth with the Force. Laughing, Sephiroth easily jumped out of the object's way and then landed onto a platform above them, his booted feet touching the surface in a feather-light way, as if supported by invisible wings.

The son of Jenova was taller, and much more impressive than his teenage host. Sephiroth appeared exactly as Vader had seen him in the visions while inside the Lifestream. In his hand was a sword longer than the man was tall, and his body was clothed in an ebony leather coat. His hair, flowing to his waist, looked almost like liquid – a silver river of poisonous mercury.

Sephiroth's gaze found Cloud. "Your Geostigma is gone?" When Cloud did not answer him, he grinned. "That's too bad."

Cloud got to his feet. "Sephiroth. What do you want?"

"The last thoughts of Geostigma's dead," Sephiroth answered him. "Those remnants will join the Lifestream and girdle the planet… choking it… corroding it…"

As Cloud's expression remained unsure and confused by Sephiroth's words, Vader started forward, sensing another major disturbance in the Force, no doubt being caused by Sephiroth. There was a feeling in the air that just seemed to scream death.

"What I want, Cloud," Sephiroth continued, his eyes taking on a gleam of lust for power, "is to sail the darkness of the cosmos with this planet as my vessel…" The former high General of SOLDIER raised one hand up high, his gloved palm calling upon his powers of the dark side, it seemed. Vader stopped as soon as the sky began to darken, the black clouds swirling above Sephiroth and blocking out the sun, as though heralding a great catastrophe. "…Just as my mother did long ago…"

_What is this?_ Darth Vader wondered. _This isn't what he agreed upon in the Lifestream!_ Vader sensed the dark side all around, and while he was familiar with it's mighty powers, the amount that Sephiroth was summoning was nearly overwhelming, even for Vader. _Is this truly the extent of Jenova's power?_ Or was it only the beginning?

Behind Vader, Cloud flinched. Though he had confronted Sephiroth before, this was beyond anything he had ever witnessed, possibly more frightening than Meteor itself.

"Then one day we'll find a new planet, and on it's soil we'll create a shining future." Within his helmet, Vader clenched his teeth. Sephiroth would not only find just one new planet… if he was allowed to continue what he was doing, he would wreak havoc across numerous systems all over the galaxy. The Empire that the Sith had painstakingly created with their hands would be crushed as Jenova's power would devour the Lifestream from all worlds.

_Master…_ Vader thought. _You were wrong._ There was no convincing Sephiroth to submit as Darth Sidious' new apprentice, not when the very existence of the Sith Order was at stake. Jenova was a calamity meant for _all_ life, not just a power to be used against the Light.

Emperor Palpatine would have to try and convince Sephiroth himself. Darth Vader would not duel him, not for something as mere as a position at Palpatine's side. Vader would destroy Sephiroth, and then take Jenova's power as his own. With that, _he_ would be the one to govern the Lifestream, just as he previously intended back in the Northern Crater.

"What about _this_ planet?" Cloud demanded, shouting over the howling winds that seemed to pick up with Sephiroth's display.

Sephiroth's expression was devilish, two sharp canines revealed in his grin. "Well… that's up to you, Cloud," he challenged.

Sephiroth sneered, and when he finally brought down his hand, the sky brought forth the catastrophe that it promised.

* * *

Marlene had appeared in the bedroom on the Seventh Heaven's second floor, holding a tray of food in her hands as she stared in concern at Denzel. The boy stood by the window, watching a growing darkness, some kind of storm approaching Edge.

"Are you hungry?" she asked him in a soft voice. She felt guilty about remaining out of the hideout underneath the pinball machine for so long, but she was worried for Tifa, Cloud, and her father, all of whom hadn't even called since the day before. The white armored men were everywhere, and each time Marlene glimpsed the menacing weapons in their hands, she feared that another one of her loved ones might have… might have…

Denzel suddenly fell to his knees clutching his forehead. Gasping, Marlene dropped the tray and ran to Denzel, hugging him tightly. Her brown eyes watered as she saw the black pus from his Geostigma sore seep through his fingers.

"Don't leave me," she whispered. Denzel groaned in pain and then both children searched the view outside of the window. There were frightening streams of blackness engulfing the ruins of Midgar beyond, streams not unlike the Lifestream the world had seen disintegrate Meteor two years prior. But the thick ribbons of energy were not the soft, bright green from before. Like Denzel, it was infected with Geostigma – infected with Jenova.

"It hurts so much…" Denzel moaned. Marlene imagined that dozens of other people were suffering as well.

"My… blood…" Denzel gasped. "…it…burns…calling me."

"Don't listen to it," Marlene commanded, burying her head in his chest. "Tifa told me that Cloud once listened to the Calamity. And then Sephiroth came."

"But he beat Sephiroth, right?"

Marlene nodded. "Yes. And you can beat this."

Marlene shivered, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck tickle her. She closed her eyes, but instead of seeing the darkness of her mind, she saw flowers and a girl…

She opened her eyes and looked around, searching. For only a second she felt warmth, and could almost smell the flowers as well – flowers that Tifa had once meant to decorate the shop with. "Is it her?" she asked, and Denzel shot her a confused glance.

"Who?"

_The Flower Lady_, Marlene thought. "Never mind. Rest. I'll get some more bandages."

* * *

"Your highness! We must relocate!"

The Emperor ignored the pilot of his shuttle, who had come running down the ramp to retrieve him. He ignored the sounds of indignation made by the pilot as his personal royal guard shoved him back into the ship. Around the Shin-Ra building, the weaves of darkness thickened. Palpatine could barely see what was going on below, but he didn't mind. The display of the dark side on it's own was enough to please him, and he could sense the conflict below as well. The Force would inevitably tell him who the victor of the duel was. Palpatine displayed enough of his own presence so that Sephiroth would eventually find him.

_And this is only a fraction of Jenova's strength,_ he thought gleefully. It was difficult to quell the surge of anticipation he felt. Waiting for him on the _Devastator _was another prize.

* * *

A great storm was born out of the miasma of the infected Lifestream. Cloud lost track of what happened once Sephiroth charged towards him. Before he was able to counterattack, Vader interfered and took the battle for himself. A weave of darkness picked up the platform Sephiroth had been standing on and hurled it at Cloud, along with other pieces of Midgar. Cloud dodged object after object, trying to sense out the conflict so that he could find Sephiroth.

Within the storm he caught a glimpse of the red lightsaber that belonged to Vader, glowing like blood within the shadow. Cloud chased it, and finally, there was a clearing in the storm. Sephiroth and Darth Vader were having it out, two powerful dark figures, both on the offensive. There was no evasive flipping and jumping, as there had been with Kadaj. Sephiroth was not hesitant about attacking with his blade, the Masamune. Cloud almost felt a surge of triumph as Sephiroth's sword came into contact with Vader's impossibly hot lightsaber, sure that it would be cut into a useless piece of metal, but unfortunately, no such relief was ever felt. The Masamune bounced off the vermilion weapon, the edges emitting the soft green glow of Mako.

_Protecting the sword with materia,_ Cloud quickly realized, but had to quickly react to Vader attempting to Force choke Sephiroth, who in retaliation brushed the attempt off with a swipe of his arm. The power was pushed in return towards Cloud, who, despite trying to jump away from it, was thrown aside.

Sephiroth was laughing. "Breathing hard already, human?" he taunted. "Which one of those buttons on your armor calls for assistance?"

Darth Vader had been inhaling and exhaling faster than usual, but without missing a beat, he replied, "So much for your might. No, Sephiroth, the device doesn't call for your clones. They won't be aiding you today."

Sephiroth smirked, continuing the duel with the Sith Lord. As their blades clashed, Masamune shining with jade energy, he said, "Actually, I should thank you for killing them. After all, it is their cells, along with the victims of Geostigma, that allows me to bind the planet to my will."

**_Noli manere…_**

The ground shook, and both warriors evaded a massive force that split the concrete beneath them into several deep cracks. Cloud pulled his sword from out of the ground he himself had struck, and was immediately on Sephiroth. The two danced around one another, swords clinging and clanging in an almost musical rhythm. Sephiroth overpowered him. Cloud flew backwards and crashed through an already crumbling wall, not realizing he was inside the Shin-Ra building itself. The Masamune sliced through abandoned computers and equipment as it arced for Cloud. The narrow corridors of the office provided little protection against the son of Jenova. Cloud was forced to retreat through the halls, as Sephiroth's form was everywhere, looking for every possible way to damage Cloud. They found themselves locked in an intense clash of swords. Sephiroth chuckled as Cloud held his ground, refusing to let Sephiroth's power overtake him.

…_**manere in memoria.**_

"Ohh? Where did you find _this_ strength?"

Cloud grimaced, frustrated by how Sephiroth didn't even seem to be fazed by the deadlock of swords. "I'm not about to tell you!"

_**Noli manere, manere in memoria.**_

_**Sephiroth.**_

Sephiroth's sneer was a bewitching smile that infuriated Cloud. Cloud sent him a kick to the stomach that unlocked the clash of swords. As he charged for Sephiroth, Vader appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, his lightsaber humming vibrantly as it was swung towards Cloud's head. Cloud rolled out of the way, but cried out as Vader's weapon nicked his right arm. He thanked the planet that it hadn't been close enough to separate the limb from his body entirely, though the wound was rather deep and stung more than being branded with several hot irons.

"I told you not to interfere," Vader reminded him, his voice deep and angry as it echoed in the dark halls of the Shin-Ra building's offices. Cloud felt the pressure on his throat as Vader clenched his gloved fingers towards him. This time it was harder than when he had been interrogated two days ago, practically enough that Cloud was sure Vader was ready to break his neck in two.

_**Saevam iram, iram et dolorem.**_

_**Saevam iram, iram et dolorem.**_

"Your powers are nothing, Strife," Vader said. Cloud's head swam with a dizzying darkness as his body was levitated into the air. He kicked his feet in random directions, using any means to struggle against the Force grip. Darth Vader approached, his lightsaber lingering dangerously close to Cloud's face. "Surely you have realized that by now."

Cloud eyed the crimson weapon with contempt. _He wouldn't be talking so hot if I had one of those things._

_**Sephiroth, Sephiroth**_

Something exploded, and both Cloud and the Sith Lord were hurled through the building, thrown through one of the damaged windows. Instead of landing on a tangible surface outside, the storm picked them up. A dark weave of corrupt Lifestream burst out of the same place in the Shin-Ra building, snaking its way around Midgar. In the air, already half way to the top of the company's old headquarters, they saw Sephiroth gliding towards them, riding the storm.

**_Ferum terribile, ferum fatum._**

_**Noli manere, manere in memoria.**_

He attacked Cloud, the Masamune connecting with Cloud's thicker sword for a moment before propelling Cloud away. Cloud's feet pushed off the wall of the Shin-Ra building and he thrust himself back into the fray, where Vader and Sephiroth where dueling in the air. Sephiroth was sandwiched by both of them, but had no trouble fending Vader and Cloud at once.

"I've thought of a wonderful present for the both of you," he suddenly said. Vader and Cloud suddenly faced one another as Sephiroth flew above them, heading towards the top of the Shin-Ra building. The fierce tempest was the only force that kept Vader and Cloud from falling.

Sephiroth sliced several pillars jutting out from the building. "Shall I give you despair?" As the heavy concrete rubble fell towards them, Sephiroth laughed viciously.

**_Veni, mi fili. Veni, mi fili_**

**_Hic veni, da mihi mortem iterum_**

Cloud quickly disassembled his weapon into two swords, and used all of his might to chop the debris as it came for him, while Vader's lightsaber easily cut through the falling concrete like butter.

**_Veni, mi fili. Veni, mi fili_**

_**Hic veni, da mihi...**_

The storm picked up in strength. As if it had a mind of it's own, it hurled Cloud and Vader upwards towards Sephiroth, where he waited patiently on one of the highest balconies of the skyscraper. There was another balcony looming above him.

"On your knees," he told them once they were close enough to hear. "I want you to beg for forgiveness." Sephiroth spread his arms out to either side of himself, and then the building began to rumble and shake. Cracks appeared in the edifice as the large balcony above Sephiroth suddenly dropped by a few feet and the stopped just over his head. The pause was long enough for Sephiroth to turn and slice the cement and metal into pieces, severing it from the foundation, but manipulating it so that it fell around him rather than on top of him.

With the balcony came the pieces above it, until an enormous fraction of the entire top portion of the building came crashing down, thundering in it's decent of further ruin for the Shin-Ra building, while up above on the skyscraper's roof, Emperor Palpatine ignored the panicked pleas and concerns of his pilot. Cloud embedded both of his swords into the wall and stood upon them, waiting for the debris. When he deemed it close enough, he stepped off the swords, grasped their hilts before he could fall to his death, and vaulted backwards, pulling the blades out of the concrete and slicing through them with renewed vigor.

The biggest piece of offending wreckage was next, but before Cloud could confront it, it was destroyed for him, and suddenly, Sephiroth was before him once again, Masamune shining eagerly for Cloud's blood. They dueled fiercely, falling back towards the darkened earth.

**_Sephiroth, Sephiroth_**

And then something incredible pulled them upwards again. Not the storm, nor the Lifestream, or even their own limbs for that matter, but another force entirely. Cloud saw Sephiroth break free from it, and go his own way, but the leader of AVALANCHE was not so fortunate. He landed pitifully on the roof of the Shin-Ra building, barely registering the Imperial shuttle, the three robed figures (two in red, one in black), and of course, Darth Vader, who seemed to have been waiting patiently for them.

"You see, Lord Vader?" declared the Emperor. Cloud glimpsed just a fraction of the black-robed man's horrible face as he turned to speak to Vader. "It seems that even the most irritating nuisances can serve our purpose. Since young Sephiroth seems to be so interested in this little being, it only seems advantageous that he serve as bait for our goal."

"Bait…?" Cloud groaned as he struggled to bring himself to - at the very least - his knees.

"Be still, boy," said Emperor Palpatine, and Cloud gasped as his body was forced back onto the ground by the Emperor's powers, seemingly stronger than that of Vader's.

As Palpatine had expected, Sephiroth landed on the roof shortly afterwards. It was with an emotionless expression that he surveyed the scene. "You are the Emperor?" he growled.

Palpatine slowly stepped forward, aided by his cane. His malignant chuckle gave face to the kind of creature that he truly was, hidden under the illusion and guise of a frail old man. "I see you have been expecting my presence, just as I have expected yours. I've come a long way to offer you, Jenova's chosen one, an opportunity to master a great power."

"I've already heard of this so-called 'great power,'" Sephiroth immediately answered just as Palpatine was on the verge of explaining. "This _dark side_… the both of you fail to realize that is merely a piece of the bigger picture, a more complex equation. Look at you!"

Sephiroth laughed harshly at the frowning Emperor. "As powerful as you are, you have decided to dedicate your life and existence to a source of energy that does not even reward you for the effort you have spent on it all of these years. Instead of accomplishing a feat worthy of recognition and substance, you allow the dark side to eat away at your body and soul, making you nothing more than a decrepit spore, utterly dependant on a poison that kills you as much as it kills your enemies."

The Emperor's confidant demeanor had changed to displease. "So you speak of your own mother this way? She who was _born_ of the dark side! You owe your very existence to the dark side of the Force, and yet you continue to blaspheme." Sephiroth noted with some hidden emotion the angry daggers of electricity sparking from the Emperor's fingers. "You will accept my offer of apprenticeship, Sephiroth, or you will die."

Sephiroth shook his head pityingly. "You don't seem to understand. Death is not a blockade to power, for it is through the death of this world that I will be able to journey forth and achieve limitless knowledge. You fear death. I will merely embrace yours."

The Emperor's eyes were sulfurous with rage. "So be it then." Sephiroth would pay dearly for such an insult when he was once again one with the Force.

Sephiroth had been anticipating the lightning, but not in the sheer magnitude that it came from Palpatine's hands. Any intention he had to block or drive the lightning back was foiled, and for the first time since that day's Reunion, Sephiroth felt pain. The Emperor's Force lightning drove him back, and would have probably killed any other person, but Sephiroth resisted the surge of electrocution coursing through his limbs. Palpatine did not have the pleasure of seeing him writhe on the ground. He was pushed back towards the edge of the roof, but he remained on his feet, concentrating on his will alone to drive the lightning away. It seemed to work.

"You have one last chance to take what I have offered," Palpatine snarled. He motioned towards Vader, who seemed more than happy to approach the scene with his lightsaber ignited. "Take your place as a Sith Lord by defeating my current apprentice in combat."

Sephiroth glared at Palpatine and pointed the Masamune at Darth Vader. "Never again will I serve a human," he spat.

Palpatine grinned, thinking of the weapon he had acquired that was currently hibernating on the _Devastator,_ one that could easily change Sephiroth's convictions. _We'll see._ He watched with relish as Vader charged for Sephiroth…

…and then was stunned by the sight of the blond swordsman unexpectedly appearing in the duel, interfering with _everything._

Cloud, momentarily forgotten during the conversation, took the opportunity as soon as he realized the Force-hold on him was no longer so binding. He ran at Sephiroth, unsure who would reach him first. Vader Force-pushed Cloud away. He flew backwards and hit the Imperial shuttle with a shout. As Cloud fell back to the ground, the materia-protected Masamune clashed with Vader's lightsaber one more time before Sephiroth leapt in an outstanding somersault over the Sith Lords. He landed in front of Cloud, and the stabbed him in his left shoulder, pinning Cloud to the shuttle before he could even stand.

Cloud cried out from the white-hot pain Masamune inflicted. He felt blood trickle from his shoulder and saw it run up Sephiroth's blade. He could see in Sephiroth's eyes the hatred he had for Cloud, the need to finally destroy the warrior who was to be no more than a pawn in Jenova's scheme to begin with.

"Tell me what you cherish most," demanded Sephiroth. With a pained grunt, Cloud grasped the blade of the Masamune with his right hand. Sephiroth smirked cruelly at Cloud's wasted efforts. "_Give me the pleasure of taking it away_?"

Cloud glared furiously at Sephiroth as he tried to pull the sword out of his shoulder. In his mind he clearly saw the memory of Aerith, smiling peacefully at him before Sephiroth impaled her… Tifa embracing Denzel and Marlene before she and Cloud took a picture during the grand reopening of Seventh Heaven… Zack helping him out of a truck during a bout of his motion sickness… Barret playing with Marlene… Denzel excitedly asking him questions about SOLDIER… Cid, Yuffie, Cait Sith, Nanaki, and Vincent, sitting at a table and arguing over who-knows-what… and then his hands letting go of Aerith's body and watching her float down into the lake, smiling to the end.

A surge of strength. The Force, as Palpatine and Vader liked to call it. Cloud didn't care what it was called. What really mattered was that he finally understood that it was the Force that he had felt all along, not just the Mako or Jenova's cells, guiding him with every battle he fought, his confrontation with Bahamut, Kadaj, Vader, and now Sephiroth. It was with a new understanding of his own strength that he was able to pull Masamune out of his shoulder and stand.

"I pity you," Cloud said to Sephiroth, vaguely aware of Palpatine's irritation and Vader's antipathy. "You just don't get it at all."

Sephiroth readied his attack and as he moved towards his long-time opponent, Cloud jumped high into the air and Sephiroth followed. As Cloud reassembled both of his swords into one again, Sephiroth neglected to respond.

"There's not a thing I _don't _cherish!" Cloud shouted. He spun the sword above his head, all sorts of inspirations coming to him for his next and final strategy. Cloud slashed the air in front of him, and every piece of the sword separated into six different blades. Calling on the Force as best as he could (he knew how limited his knowledge of it was) he concentrated on the blades, remembering how Vader was able to move objects with the Force. The blades encircled Sephiroth. Cloud thought back to how Palpatine was able to keep him from moving, and how Sephiroth had managed it as well, and he felt a surge of triumph as he saw Sephiroth suspended in the air, shocked and unmoving. Cloud dove for one of the swords and then slashed at Sephiroth's body.

The rest was simple enough to accomplish once he got started. Cloud cut Sephiroth once with every floating sword, unaware of the speed at which he had done so, and when he was finished, he landed back on the roof, catching one of the falling swords as the others fell around him, stabbed into the concrete. He could sense Sephiroth's existence slowly fading away…the black Lifestream strands dissolving… the sun peeking through the quieted storm clouds…

"Stay where you belong," Cloud spoke as he stared up at his nemesis, "in my memories."

A large ebony feathered wing burst out of Sephiroth's back. The one wing held him aloft in the air as he gazed down at those who stood on the Shin-Ra building's roof.

"I will…_never_ be a memory."

The black wing enveloped Sephiroth's body, hiding the man who was gradually fading back to the Lifestream, defeated once again by the one being who had not been designed to have the strength to do so. Cloud could almost feel Sephiroth's rage, but with it came a wicked promise… _I will never be a memory._ Cloud slightly shuddered, remembering one of his deepest fears: that he might never truly be rid of Sephiroth.

The One-Winged Angel seemed to dissolve, the wing and body eroding away until all that was left was Kadaj, the host. Kadaj fell towards the roof, landing weakly on all fours. As soon as his tired eyes found Cloud, he stood and charged at Cloud with the last remainders of his strength, the blood in his throat making his scream sound like a choked gurgle. Kadaj's hands went for Cloud's neck, but he collapsed when he was just inches away. Cloud caught the clone in his arms and knelt towards the ground.

"Bro…ther…." Kadaj murmured weakly.

Palpatine hissed in anger as a light rain began to fall from the sky. There was a serious disturbance in the Force. It almost felt like a Jedi, even. Vader could sense it as well, but he did not inform the Emperor that he had encountered the presence before, back in the Lifestream.

_**Kadaj?**_

Cloud's eyes widened slightly as he abandoned himself to Aerith's gentle voice. "Huh?" Kadaj uttered, almost childlike. The raindrops fell directly on Kadaj's face, giving the illusion that the clone was beginning to cry.

_**You don't have to hang on any longer,**_ she told him soothingly.

Kadaj seemed almost delirious. "Mother… is that… you?" His eyes held a childlike adoration for the presence he assumed was Jenova. Cloud was more than willing to let him believe that it was.

_**Everyone's waiting… if you're ready.**_

A smile spread across the face of Sephiroth's former host. Nodding, Kadaj raised his hand towards the sky, towards an invisible apparition that he seemed sure was there in front of him. His gloved hand appeared to grasp something, like another hand, and slowly, Kadaj too began to fade. Within moments, he joined the other spirits in the Lifestream.

Cloud stood and closed his eyes, lifting his head towards the sky. The rain that fell on him was soothing, and he realized that it was the same water in the church that cured him of his Geostigma. He hoped that the rain fell over Edge as well, so that it would heal the other victims.

_It's finally over…_ he thought.

"Little pest!"

Cloud gasped and turned at the sound of the Emperor's voice, but he was too late to respond. Darth Sidious unleashed a violent torrent of lightning, more frightening than the amount he used on Sephiroth. Cloud didn't have the slightest idea of how to protect himself from it. He merely screamed, dropping his sword and falling on the ground to try to clutch at his convulsing limbs in vain. The pain seemed to go on forever, and the Emperor apparently had no intention of stopping until Cloud was either unconscious or dead.

Palpatine cackled maniacally. "If you do cherish everything, then _I_ will be the one that takes everything from you instead." The Emperor felt a terrible glee form inside of him at seeing the meddling swordsman scream from the torture he put him under. When Cloud Strife lay motionless and almost certainly dead, Palpatine ceased his attack and turned towards the Imperial shuttle.

"It seems our business is finished here, my friend," Palpatine said as Vader followed him up the loading ramp.

"Yes, my master," Vader replied. Truthfully, Vader was both angry and pleased all at once. He was not given the chance to kill Sephiroth himself, but now he would be free to take the Lifestream's knowledge for himself. The only question was _how,_ but that was a small obstacle compared to the others he had faced on New Korriban.

"There's no need to be concerned," Palpatine assured him. "Sephiroth did not join us, but there is an adequate consolation prize waiting for us on your flag ship."

Vader paused for a moment before following the Emperor once again. The Force told him what it was without Darth Sidious having to inform him.


	23. Promised Land

**Disclaimer**: I do not own in any way the characters associated with Star Wars or Final Fantasy VII. They belong to their respective owners such as Lucas Arts and Square-Enix. Original characters that may present themselves in the course of this story belong to me. The guest character known as Resia Tomebar respectfully belongs to Elvenluver.

This is a Star Wars/Final Fantasy VII crossover fanfiction which takes place two years before Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope and during Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.

**Silver Mercury**

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Promised Land**

If he really was dead, then he supposed that it actually wasn't as bad as everyone made it out to be. There was a quiet that was both peaceful and somewhat unnerving. It felt as if he were floating. There was nothing to see, partly because he was sure his eyes were still closed. If he still even had eyes, that is. If he did, Cloud Strife did not care to open them. After all, what was the need? He was at peace, wasn't he?

However, he couldn't shake the lingering doubt that perhaps he wasn't dead at all. His thoughts wouldn't be so organized unless he were alive, because the souls that reached the Lifestream were no longer individual spirits, but rather fragments and particles of energy that joined a more complex organism. When they joined, they created the planet's consciousness, which was why the Cetra could speak to it. If his thoughts hadn't been lost to the Lifestream, then where was he?

_The Promised Land?_ he wondered, or dreamt. He wasn't sure. He was both asleep and awake at once, if that made any sort of sense. Either way, he decided it couldn't be the Promised Land. Only the Cetra could reach that place.

Something stroked his forehead, and then Cloud knew he was still alive, at least, partly. If he were a spirit, he would have no need for a body. Still, the idea that he was in the afterlife with the people who had been taken from him seemed like a comforting notion.

He remembered how a blond woman from his childhood would stroke his head in the same fashion. She had always been worried about him, and when he thought that he could end her troubles by trying to join SOLDIER, she had been the first of those he cared for to be killed.

"Mother?" he asked, still keeping his eyes closed. The hand removed itself from his forehead.

"_**Again!"**_ she exclaimed, but it was not his mother. _**"Why does everyone keep calling me their mother lately?"**_ It sounded as though she had been speaking to someone a short distance away.

"_**They must be fond of you,"**_ a male replied jokingly. Cloud instantly recognized that voice. His friend, Zack, speaking to Aerith, who had once been his girlfriend. Cloud must have been dead after all.

Aerith laughed. _**"This one is a little too big to adopt, I think."**_

"_**Tough luck, friend,"**_ Zack said to him. _**"Sounds like you don't have a place here yet."**_

Cloud slowly opened his eyes, but everything was extremely bright. He could only make out the blurry outlines of his deceased friends as they comfortingly stood over him, Zack with his wild black hair, and Aerith, with her neat braid and dainty figure. There was so much he wanted to tell them, but before he could speak, he was floating away from them. They were gone again, and Cloud closed his eyes. Perhaps it was all just a dream after all.

* * *

The area had been designed on the med-level on short notice from the Emperor, but the crew of the _Devastator_ was successful in carrying out their orders. It was a simple, yet efficient laboratory, devoid of droids or scientists. The sterile room sat mostly empty, the most notable element being an individual human-sized container in the room's center. It was similar to a bacta tank, except that cold vapor emanated off of the equipment, and the liquid that filled the container was not bacta at all.

"I had this area commissioned just before the Reunion," Emperor Palpatine explained as he entered the room. Darth Vader followed him inside, knowing that he didn't need to see what was inside the container to know what it was. Still, he obliged the other Sith Lord's wishes to come see his latest project, his back-up plan of sorts.

The Emperor's royal guard remained just outside the door. Palpatine's steps made virtually no noise as he calmly approached the glass tube. The cold temperature fogged up the glass, but it did not hide the fact that a humanoid was being kept inside of it, either stunned or frozen.

"Our chance for greater power did not end with Sephiroth," Palpatine continued over the sounds of Vader's breathing apparatus. "Before I gave her to Kadaj, I had a chance to introduce Jenova to her host." The Emperor grinned. "The results have been most satisfying."

Vader stared at the container with his hands clasped behind his back. "Isis Avonej?"

"Yes," chuckled the Emperor. "The notes left behind by the scientists of Shin-Ra stated that Jenova's host need not be merged completely with Jenova's head in order to properly serve its purpose. Merely bringing the host into contact with Jenova's purest cells would suffice, though it would take some time for the cells to adapt and assume Jenova's consciousness within the host's mind."

"How long?" Vader questioned.

"Anywhere between three months to _five years_," Palpatine stated with a frown. "Unfortunately, it is a very delicate process. Any interference, physical or otherwise, could probably devastate Jenova's development."

"The _Devastator_ is not exactly the ideal environment for her," Vader answered. With the Imperial fleet constantly confronting the Rebel Alliance, it was more than likely that Jenova would be damaged during a battle.

"Which is exactly why I have decided to leave Jenova under your protection," Palpatine said in his best political and patronizing tone. "You will take her to your fortress on Vjun, where she will be allowed to develop into her host without danger or threat."

Darth Vader was not pleased with the order, but he had no choice but to obey. "As you wish, my master."

Palpatine stepped close to tube, his acid-yellow eyes looking fanatic. "Imagine it, my young apprentice. A being born of the dark side with a limitless potential for power. Once we harness her, as the Sith had originally intended, there will be nothing else that could stand in our way."

Vader could not help but note that the Emperor had said almost exactly the same thing when he began construction of the Empire's latest technology, the Death Star. Still, if the Sith Order of ancient times had known about Jenova's power¸ then perhaps the creature did account for more than even Shin-Ra knew.

Palpatine set his withered hand against the cold pane of glass and gently wiped the foggy condensation away. Isis Avonej's face was revealed, though vastly different from when Vader had last seen her. The liquid preserving her was half frozen, so she didn't seem to float or bob in the container. Instead she appeared almost like a frozen ice sculpture, her eyes closed and her silver hair drifting loosely around her head. The low temperature of the container made her skin nearly blue, and Vader remembered the scene in the Lifestream where Sephiroth saw Jenova for the first time, trapped in a frozen glass prison by humans as well. The Dark Lord of the Sith noted the subtle change in expression on Isis' face as tiny black veins slowly crept up her pale face towards her brain. He saw them all over her arms as well.

If _he_ could master Jenova's power instead… Vader shielded his thoughts momentarily from his master. He would have to plot against Sidious at another time, and Jenova on Vjun would be the perfect opportunity to do so.

* * *

Cloud was wrapped in a bright light, and for the longest of moments he could see nothing else. Eventually, the light began to fade, and he felt several pairs of small hands on him. It still felt as if he were floating.

When he recognized the gaping hole in the ceiling, Cloud righted himself and stood up in the water, a spring that had formed in the Sector 5 church during his fight with Vader. He stared at all of the children that stood around him, recognizing some of them as the local orphans that had Geostigma. Standing in the water, they had it no longer.

He looked to one of the orphans he did know, a brown haired girl with pigtails who was a friend of Denzel's. "It's like she said," spoke the girl, "_wait here and Cloud will come back._"

_She who_? Cloud wondered, and then he heard Marlene happily cry, "Welcome back!"

Cloud turned and saw them standing at the edge of the flowerbed-pool. All of them. Tifa stood in the front with Denzel. Marlene carried Cait Sith in one arm, while Barret held her other hand. Yuffie stood casually with one hand on her hip, Nanaki sitting on his hind legs next to her. Vincent stood in a shadowed corner behind them, though not appearing as brooding as was his usual manner. Cid had an arm around Shera and the _Gelinka _pilot Resia stared around curiously at the church's ruined architecture, seeming detached from the current happening. The scene was almost picturesque.

"I'm back," Cloud replied with a relieved sigh. He couldn't even begin to wonder _how_ he had survived, unless that dream he had about Aerith and Zack hadn't been a dream at all.

"There are still children with the 'Stigma," Nanaki pointed out.

Cloud glanced at Denzel, who timidly covered the black sore on his forehead. "Yeah," said Cloud.

Tifa knelt behind her adopted son and placed reassuring hands on his shoulders. "Hey," she said softly to Denzel, "let's get you fixed up."

Denzel hesitated, remembering how Kadaj had tricked him into drinking the water in the Sleeping Forest so that the clones could control him. Cloud stepped forward and held out his hand. "It's alright," he said. "I'm here."

"It's okay," Tifa reassured.

Denzel nodded and stepped towards Cloud, who picked him up and gently lowered him into the shallow pool. Cloud cupped his hands into the water and then poured it on Denzel's head, much like a holy man baptizing someone. Denzel gasped, his bruise glowing with a pale white light before fading away completely. The boy touched his face in disbelief. With a joyous expression he turned back to the others, all of whom erupted into applaud and cheer. The other uncured children that had been standing by the pool laughed happily before jumping into the water.

"Now that's some crazy water!" Barret exclaimed.

"Last one in is a rotten egg!" Cid shouted enthusiastically.

Cloud looked around in amazement at the amount of children that had entered the pool to heal themselves and play with one another. Amidst shrieks of laughter, splashing, and joyful chatter, Cloud turned to Tifa, who smiled back at him lovingly. His smile was shy in response.

"I almost thought I lost you back there," she admitted, stepping into the pool with him.

"You saw what happened?" he asked.

"Cid was able to circle the airship around a couple of times, and when the storm passed, I…" Her brown eyes took on a deeply troubled look, and Cloud allowed her to embrace him. Tifa buried her head in his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, at a loss of how to exactly comfort her. He glanced towards the open front doors ahead, and spotted a girl in pink knelt in front a child.

It can't be… 

The young woman stood and turned for the open doors, where another figure stood, bathed in the sunlight. They both seemed oddly transparent. Before she stepped into the light, Cloud caught a subtle glowing blue outline around her. As soon as she reached the door, she turned to face him, her pretty face smiling at him.

"_You see?_" Aerith asked. "_Everything's_ _alright._"

As she turned away one last time, Aerith began to fade into the light. Zack grinned and waved lazily at him before following. Soon they were both gone again. Cloud smiled.

"I know," he whispered. "I'm not alone. Not anymore."

That day, even the distant sounds of the Imperial TIE fighters could not scare the children out of Aerith's church. Their sanctuary.


	24. Epilogue, Allies

**Silver Mercury**

**Epilogue – Allies**

The next several months in Seventh Heaven had slow business days, thanks to the near-martial law set forth by the garrison Darth Vader left behind before his departure to some other unlucky place in the galaxy. It reminded Tifa Lockheart of the old Shin-Ra days, when it was a battle just to obtain clean and healthy water down in the slums. Like always, however, AVALANCHE somehow managed. Except for Cid, who took the airship past Mideel to keep it safe from the Imperials, they hid out in the basement under the pinball machine while Tifa managed the bar, just like old times. It wasn't really so bad, she found herself admitting. After a month or so, commercialism and a small amount of tourism from other parts of the galaxy were finally allowed on New Korriban, and the Imperial presence was no longer so daunting, not with so many alien species interacting with the people in Edge and the other cities.

Tifa was excited to meet all of the different people from other worlds. That day, as she polished her bar, she thought about the new products and drinks she had been asked to offer by the few new customers that had visited the poor town of Edge. The Empire was oppressive, but she and the others no longer had to worry about Boba Fett or any other bounty hunters. With Cloud Strife thought dead, AVALANCHE was considered virtually harmless without their leader. Knowing how wrong they were always brought a smile to Tifa's face.

"Yo Tifa."

Tifa looked up from her work and saw Barret ascending from the basement on the pinball machine. They were beginning to spend less and less time down there.

"Yeah?"

He set himself on a stool at the bar. "You been hearing all the hype lately about droids?"

Tifa pushed a stray bar glass aside and nodded. "Yeah. It seems everyday hundreds more are being shipped over here. Why do you ask?"

Barret scratched his plaited head. "You ever consider getting one for the shop?"

Tifa paused and blinked. "No, actually. I haven't." With a smirk she looked around her surroundings. "Now that you mention it, I _could_ use a helping hand around here, especially with cleaning. It's tough managing a household of _eight_!"

Barret pouted. "Aww. We ain't that much trouble are we?"

Tifa laughed. "Well, Yuffie's been a little behind on the dishes lately."

"Yeah," he replied loudly. "When is that brat goin' back to Wutai anyway!"

From upstairs came a resentful, "I heard that!" and they spent the next few minutes laughing at it. Afterwards, Barret brought up what he had heard and learned about droids, being fond of new technology as he had always been, and soon enough, Tifa forgot about her work and found herself deeply attentive to the currently fascinating universe of droids, speeders, and spacecraft. She was sure that wherever Cid was, he was having a field day with it all as well.

"It really would be perfect," she answered solemnly as she traced the polished bar with her finger, "if it wasn't all controlled by an insane dictatorship. Was it always this way?"

Barret frowned. "What do ya' mean?"

Tifa propped her elbow on the counter and rested her face in her palm. "I mean… was the Empire always in control of the galaxy? How did it all start?"

Barret shook his head. "Dunno. Guess we'll be finding out sooner or later, though."

Tifa nodded in agreement and then found Cloud coming down the stairs into the bar. "What time is it?" he asked.

"Almost sundown," Tifa answered. A quick glance out of the front window showed a virtually empty portion of Edge bathed in orange sunlight from the setting sun.

Cloud took a seat next to Barret. "I heard that Rufus is still alive."

"Well, that's…" Tifa began. "Good, I guess." She had always harbored ill feelings towards Rufus Shinra, but with the Empire to consider, he now seemed to be the lesser of two evils.

"Only if the Empire isn't controlling him," Cloud pointed out, "which they probably are. Shin-Ra has a lot of resources they can use."

Tifa rubbed her hands together in thought. There was still so much to worry about, and she didn't even know where to begin. As soon as she poured drinks for Barret and Cloud, the door opened with a soft chime, signaling a customer. Cloud tensed, but Tifa's expression signaled to him that it wasn't a stormtrooper.

The customer that had entered was human. He looked to be about the same age as Yuffie, with brown hair and a clean-shaven face. He wore clothing that was not native to New Korriban, but was simple regardless; forest green pants and a black tunic. There was a blaster strapped to his hip that worried Tifa just a little, but as soon as he sat at the bar with a tired sigh, she decided that he wasn't much of a threat. Yet.

She approached him with a smile. "Welcome to Seventh Heaven. What would you like?"

The new customer looked up and said, "Oh good, you speak Basic."

Again, she smiled. "Yeah. Unfortunately, we don't offer any other languages yet."

The teenage boy shrugged. "Don't worry about it. A lot of non-humans are multi-lingual anyway." When Tifa said nothing else and just seemed to wait, he nervously laughed. "Oh yeah, sorry. Uh, what do you recommend?"

Tifa turned towards the liquor shelf. "Well, we just got a new shipment of Mideel wine. It's sweet, and not too strong. One of my favorites, actually."

He smiled in return. "Okay, I'll take your word for it then."

Tifa nodded and poured him a glass of the popular wine. As she set it in front of him, she glanced at Cloud and Barret, who seemed to be talking quietly amongst themselves, and thankfully, not looking too suspicious.

"Mmm!" exclaimed her new young customer. "This _is_ pretty good!"

"Glad you like it," Tifa replied. "So, where are you from?"

"Corellia, originally," he replied. When he noticed her lack of recognition, he added, "Oh, haven't heard of it yet, huh?"

"I've only heard about Imperial Center around here," she admitted, "and even so, very little about that as well."

He shrugged. "Probably because this system is just so far away."

Tifa offered him a sympathetic smile. "You look like you've had a long travel."

"I came looking for someone," he explained. "Or, more than one person, actually. Speaking of which, you're Tifa Lockheart, aren't you? Of AVALANCHE?"

The room went uncomfortably quiet, and Cloud and Barret turned in their seats to glare at the man. Tifa tensed, but then boldly answered, "Yes, I am."

"And who the hell are you?" Barret demanded. The three of them were all thinking the same thing: Imperial agent.

The stranger hesitated and nervously answered, "I'm not here to cause any kind of trouble."

"You damn right you're not!" Barret threatened as he stood up and towered over the much smaller man. The stranger seemed to shrink back in response from the obvious intimidation.

"How do you know about AVALANCHE?" Cloud calmly asked.

"News travels slow from this end of the galaxy," he quickly answered, "but there was a rumor that you fought the Empire when they arrived."

"_Invaded_," Cloud corrected him.

"If you're here to turn us in-," Tifa began.

"I promise you I'm not," he replied. "My name is Wedge Antilles."

Barret took a step back, and Tifa stood stunned. _Wedge…?_ Her thoughts went to the original members of AVALANCHE, all three who had died at the hands of Shin-Ra. This new Wedge looked nothing like the one she used to know, but it did bring her a painful reminder of their past.

Wedge Antilles stood and carefully looked at the speechless forms of Tifa, Barret and Cloud. "I was sent here to see if there was anything left of your group. We need any help we can get in fighting the Empire. I know not a lot of news gets around in these parts, but…"

"…have any of you ever heard of the _Rebel Alliance_?"

**Silver Mercury _Concluded_**

* * *

**Author's Note: **First of all, I'd like to thank those who have read and reviewed: _rjectkd89, Elvenluver (to whom Resia Tomebar offically belongs), X-Over, Darth Malazia, InfernoFlames140, fangs4fun, Capt. Jon Elric, Boudicca Aturia, HolyKnight5, Dacl73, PauL32489, NeoSeether, Tio Hiwatari, The Arbiters Guardian, hecate-19, _and _Lokichaosgod_, as well as those who reviewed anonymously. Thank you all for the praise, and even the occasional criticism, for without which I probably would not have caught certain discrepancies in the story. It's thanks to all of you that I was able to complete this crossover, an idea that I originally did not expect to last more than three chapters or so. However, the sequel is now being planned, and I have taken all of your ideas into consideration. Any other suggestions will be gratefully welcomed as well.

As for this story, I'll be going back to clean it up and revise one last time, probably while I work on the next story. I'm not really sure if sends e-mails for resubmitted chapters, but if you do happen to get those alerts for this story, then you can ignore them if you like. They're not updates, just the same chapters corrected and fixed up. Again, thanks, and I sincerely hope this story has been enjoyable to read. I certainly had fun writing it.


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